The TV Zone

Crazy? Yes, but crazier things have happened...

You know, all this business about Imus has gotten me thinking, which - as you are well aware - can be a dangerous thing.

Newsday has a big reax package today that I contributed to, but it failed - thankfully and reasonably - to embrace a pet theory I've been noodling over for the past few hours. And I lay it on you now:

What if Al Sharpton has a role on Imus's new syndicated radio show?

Crazy? Of course, but not entirely. Hear me out on this.

A week ago, Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post reported that Imus will almost certainly have an African-American co-host on his new program; one assumes we're not talking a Robin Quivers, who will laugh at his bad jokes, but a heavyweight, with perspective, opinions, thoughts, and (of course) ego of his or her own. You flip quickly through the list of obvious suspects - people like Tom Joyner, say, or Tavis Smiley, or even Clarence Page, who I think would make a terrific co because he was the one who told Imus to cut out his racist Sambo humor in the first place. After you're done flipping, you come to this interesting name:

Al Sharpton!

He's got his own radio show, of course, and it's reasonably successful, I imagine. Sharpton's also been notably silent as reports of Imus's return circulate, which automatically leads to suspicions: Why? He's not silent about anything. Why Imus all of a sudden? For all I know, he's been prattling about Imus on his daily show, but I doubt it. (I've got a call/emails to his communications chief at National Action Network, Rachel Noerdlinger, but so far no response. When I get her denial, will post it right here...) There's no business reason for reticence either that I can think of: Citadel, the strange, secretive Howard-Hughes-like radio fortress in Las Vegas that will syndicate Imus, does not own Radio One, Sharpton's syndicator.

I don't think Sharpton would necessarily be a good co-host, but a "contributor," or perhaps "correspondent" or maybe sometime-co-host. Daily proximity would probably want to make these guys kill each other, but an occasional relationship might make it bearable. Of course, you reasonably say this is a hare-brained scheme because Sharpton stuck the fork in Imus back in April. But maybe (just maybe) Imus has come to the realization that it was Imus who stuck the fork in himself, and that he really had no one to blame but himself all along. Get someone like Sharpton on board, and it makes him look magnanimous, enlightened, and builds a bridge to a community he spent thirty years ignoring (and occasionally, insulting.)

The best reason for this strange bedfellows association: It also instantly diffuses the political flak the new show is certain to raise; Citadel is largely controlled/owned by Disney, and the last time I checked, Disney does not covet political flak.

Anyway, we need a name: "Imus and Al in the Morning..."? "The Don and Al Show...?" "Don and Al: Together Again!" Any other suggestions?