Why There's No Such Thing as 'The Next Imus'

So now it's officially official: Don Imus is back, returning to the air Dec. 3.

The Wall Street Journal asks a great question: Why? As in, why are radio companies so desperate for a big ratings draw, they'll hire a guy who can't be more than a few years from retirement, even if it means alienating a lot of people and maybe even some advertisers? Why hasn't some younger, cheaper, hungrier and less baggage-ridden talent risen up to take Imus's spot?

The answer: There's just no one in the pipeline. In fact, the pipeline no longer exists.

Changes in the radio industry, in part stemming from consolidation, have left many stations so focused on profits that they don't have the time or resources to train rising talent.

"The problem is that the farm team has disappeared," says Holland Cooke, a radio-industry consultant. "That up-and-comer who starts out in Eugene, Oregon, and makes his way to Spokane, and gets a big break in Seattle and jumps to Chicago, that pathway has been interrupted."