What happened to Don Imus’ Ranch?
We've received your submission. Don Imus’ ranch has finally sold — to another rich guy who likes to dress like a cowboy. The radio mogul has finally unloaded his 3,400-acre spread outside of Santa Fe, NM, to Patrick Gottsch, creator of the Cowboy Channel cable TV network.
How much did Steve Imus sell his radio show for?
A source put the sale price at $12.5 million – down considerably from its last listed price of $19 million. Gottsch is the same Rural Media Group founder who picked up Imus’ radio-and-TV simulcast for two years after CBS Radio fired the morning talker over racial slurs against the Rutgers women’s basketball team.
What is the Imus Ranch Record?
The Imus Ranch Record, a country music CD, was released in September 2008. A New York Times critic called it "pairings of artists and material that are inspired, and often inspiring, and nothing if not eclectic".
Why did Don Imus start the Imus Foundation?
Between 1998–2014, it was the site of a non-profit charitable program for seriously ill children, founded by long-time radio personality Don Imus and his wife, Deirdre. The charitable organization sought to ensure the continuity of the lives of children afflicted with cancer or serious blood diseases.
Who bought the Imus Ranch?
The ranch was finally sold in April 2018 to Patrick Gottsch (Imus's former employer at RFD-TV and the founder of Rural Media Group) for $12.5 million.
Why did the Imus Ranch close?
Financial considerations were also behind the decision to close the ranch. It's a year-round working cattle ranch but hosts children only in the summer. The ranch costs more than $2 million a year to operate. Imus either has to raise most of that money or come up with it out of his own pocket.
What does Don Imus son do?
Frederick Wyatt ImusDon Imus / Son
Where is Deirdre Imus now?
Deirdre Coleman Imus is an American artist, author, health advocate and radio personality and the founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center, part of Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in New Jersey, United States.
Was the Imus Ranch sold?
The Imus Ranch and surrounding acreage has sold for approximately $12.5 million, just short of one-third of the original asking price. The ranch, which was acquired by radio shock jock Don Imus in 1998, was used to provide an American-cowboy experience to children with cancer.
What did Howard Stern say about Don Imus?
“There was no charm there with Imus,” Stern said after announcing we were “entering an Imus Free Decade” in 2020. According to Stern, he feels sympathy for Imus' family, but his grief ends there.
How old is Deirdre Imus?
57 years (August 4, 1964)Deirdre Imus / Age
Who is Don Imus's wife?
Deirdre Imusm. 1994–2019Harriet Showalterm. 1969–1979Don Imus/Wife
How old is Wyatt Imus now?
24 years (July 3, 1998)Frederick Wyatt Imus / Age
Is Imus alive?
December 27, 2019Don Imus / Date of death
Who is Don Imus's wife?
Deirdre Imusm. 1994–2019Harriet Showalterm. 1969–1979Don Imus/Wife
When did Don Imus pass away?
December 27, 2019Don Imus / Date of death
How old is Deirdre Imus?
57 years (August 4, 1964)Deirdre Imus / Age
How much is the Imus Ranch?
Closed Imus Ranch Sells For $12.5M. The Imus Ranch and surrounding acreage has sold for approximately $12.5 million, just short of one-third of the original asking price. The ranch, which was acquired by radio shock jock Don Imus in 1998, was used to provide an American-cowboy experience to children with cancer.
How many acres is the Cowboy Channel?
The entire 3,400-acre, fenced-in property was included in the sale, according to the sale site. Sources say that the income from the sale will be granted to other charities. Patrick Gottsch, creator of the Cowboy Channel, is the reported purchaser of the property.
Will Imus Ranch fundraise?
While the dollars from the sale will be distributed through grants to organizations that share Imus Ranch’s charitable purpose, it has not yet been decided whether the organization will continue to fundraise or cease operations once funds are spent, according to the spokesperson and a family source.
How much did the Imuses ranch cost?
The ranch cost almost $25 million to construct, raised through a public foundation they established. The ranch cost $1.8 million annually to operate.
Why did Imus Ranch close?
In his broadcast on September 9, 2014, Imus announced the discontinuation of the ranch program, after 16 years of operation, due to his "health and other issues". He said the property would be sold with proceeds going to a 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation.
What were the chores of the Imuses?
During a typical day, the children performed chores beginning early in the morning, such as feeding the various ranch animals, watering plants, gathering eggs, and saddling horses for a two-hour ride led by the Imuses.
What was Imus's recreation?
Recreation included swimming, board games, and pool. In a concession to the serious health needs of the campers, the ranch also had qualified personnel present to treat medical needs. During the summer months, Imus broadcast his nationally syndicated radio program, Imus in the Morning, from a studio at the ranch.
How long did the children stay at the Ranch?
For seven days, the children were expected to perform chores and tasks as if they were cowboys, such as caring for horses, in order to gain self-esteem. The ranch operated all year but hosted children only when school was not in session, in eight one-week sessions.
When was the Imus Ranch cookbook published?
In 2004, Deirdre Imus wrote a book, The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys, published by Rodale Press. All after-tax profits from the sale of the book have been donated to the ranch. On April 10, 2007, a second book by Deirdre Imus, Greening Your Cleaning, was published by Simon & Schuster .
When was the Imus Ranch album released?
The Imus Ranch Record, a country music CD, was released in September 2008. A New York Times critic called it "pairings of artists and material that are inspired, and often inspiring, and nothing if not eclectic". Sales of the album benefited the ranch.
How many acres is Don Imus' ranch?
The 3,400-acre New Mexico ranch overseen by controversial radio personality Don Imus was purchased Thursday by an ex-farmer who became a cable TV mogul known for bringing programs with rural themes to the heartland.
When did Imus retire?
Imus, 77, acquired the ranch in 1998. He retired from broadcasting about two weeks ago. His Imus in the Morning program was a staple of New York City radio for decades. Imus’ style was that of a shock jock, though he mixed in details about his life and the ranch in broadcasts.
How many homes does Rural Radio have?
It is now available in more than 50 million homes nationwide, the network’s website states. His company, Rural Media Group Inc., also operates Rural Radio 147 and RFD-TV The Magazine. His television network also airs The American, an annual event said to be “the world’s richest one-day rodeo.”.
Who bought Bell Tower Keller Williams?
The buyer is Patrick Gottsch, whose Rural Media Group and Rural Free Delivery Television are based in Omaha, Neb. Bell Tower Keller-Williams listing agent Craig Huitfeldt and Jay Moore, owner of the Las Vegas-based New Mexico Land and Title Co. that closed the deal, confirmed the sale, but neither would give the price.
Did Imus and Gottsch do business together?
Imus and Gottsch did business together in the 2000s, when Gottsch simulcast Imus’ show, according to Fast Company. “Don has done the job we brought him in to do — give [Rural Free Delivery Television] exposure to East Coast major cable companies,” Gottsch told the magazine in 2009. The ranch also has a broadcast studio.
Overview
Closure
In his broadcast on September 9, 2014, Imus announced the discontinuation of the ranch program, after 16 years of operation, due to his "health and other issues". He said the property would be sold with proceeds going to a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. In October 2014, the ranch was offered for sale, with an asking price of $32 million. After not selling for almost three years even when the price was reduced to $19.9 million, the closed property was scheduled for auctio…
Facilities
The ranch contained a village of eight buildings constructed to emulate an Old West town, including a general store, a "marshal's office", and a "saloon" (actually an infirmary where the young guests receive their medications at the saloon's "bar"). The main ranch house is a 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m ) adobe hacienda with Native American rugs and rustic chandeliers in the great room. It had five bedrooms for the ten children who attended each week in the summer, a library, and a d…
Activities
For seven days, the children were expected to perform chores and tasks as if they were cowboys, such as caring for horses, in order to gain self-esteem. The ranch operated all year but hosted children only when school was not in session, in eight one-week sessions. Nearly half the children were from minority groups; 10% were black.
During a typical day, the children performed chores beginning early in the morning, such as feedi…
History
Imus, who was raised on an Arizona ranch, became interested in helping children stricken with cancer after he participated in a New York radio telethon in 1988, raising money for a charity assisting such children. After his marriage to Deirdre Coleman in 1994, the couple decided to build a western ranch where cancer-stricken children could regain their self-esteem by engaging in authentic ranch work. Deirdre Imus said in an American Profile magazine interview, "After workin…
Controversies
In March 2005, a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote an article critical of the ranch and the amount of money spent on each child. In 2006 the ranch spent $2.5 million on 90 children who stayed at ranch, or $28,000 per child. Accusations of accounting irregularities and personal use of the charity's assets were investigated by both the Attorney General of New Mexico, Patricia Madrid, and the New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer. No charges were filed in New Mexico. Ne…
Fundraising sources
The Imus Ranch's annual operating cost of $1.8 million was raised by various corporate sponsors and individual contributions, enabling the youth to attend at no charge.
Numerous large corporations donated significantly to the ranch. Major donors included Reader's Digest, for which the ranch's "locale" was named, Unilever, and Wrangler Jeans, among others. General Motors donated vehicles for use on the ranch. Buildings at the ranch were named for ma…