Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2008 > June > 24
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
6/24: Former WSB-TV anchor Warren Savage out of rehab, Imus non-controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My colleague Nancy Badertscher reported that former WSB-TV anchor Warren Savage has avoided trial for cocaine possession after completing an 18-month drug treatment program..
Savage, who was an anchor at WSB-TV in Atlanta for more than 10 years, was arrested in Forsyth County in 2006 on cocaine possession charges.
I recall after he quit WSB-TV’s morning anchor job, he met me at the Sun Dial restaurant on top of the Westin Peachtree. He expressed his love for playing in a jazz band but was oddly vague to me about his post-TV intentions. He admitted he was having a hard time getting up that early in the morning. WSB-TV employees would have to give him wake-up calls sometimes because he was getting to work late. At the time, we had no clue of his drug problems.
Soon after he was arrested, I received a call from a guy who had some of his possessions, which had been confiscated from a storage bin. He wanted to get rid of them. I still have some of Warren’s items. Unfortunately, at the time, I had no clue how to get a hold of Warren to give them to him. It’s mostly awards and photographs of him and friends/family but also included some receipts for items he pawned off such as computers and a guitar. So Warren—if you want your personal effects, contact me at rho@ajc.com and I can get them to you.
-There’s been this strange “controversy” over comments Don Imus made when he asked about Pacman Jones’ “color.” In context, Imus (heard now on True Oldies 106.7) sounds like he’s just being sarcastic. Yet somehow, people (including Pacman himself) have complained. Here’s an AP video story about it:
According to AP, he addressed the “outrage” thusly:
“What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason,” Imus said Tuesday. “I mean, there’s no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once.”
He called the flurry of criticism surrounding the comments “ridiculous” and said that his program’s cast is now more diverse than ever — and includes a black producer and two black co-hosts, a man and a woman.
“How insane would I have to be? What would I be thinking?” Imus wondered aloud.
So is this much ado about nothing or is it more proof that Imus is a racist?
