BLACK CO-HOSTS ADDED TO DON IMUS RADIO SHOW

Plus, jock blasts Wayans and Hughley for agreeing with his racist/sexist comments.

Don Imus made his big return to radio on Monday with two African Americans added to his cast of morning show regulars and a promise to stay edgy without resorting to racist and sexist comments.

Joining regular sidekicks Rob Bartlett and Charles McCord are African American comedians Karith Foster and Tony Powell. Foster was described in the New York Post as "a black Texas Jew with New York roots and an Oxford education."

"We now have the opportunity to have a better program, to obviously diversify the cast... but the program is not going to change," Imus said at the start of his new daily radio show on Citadel Broadcasting Corp's ABC Radio Networks.

Eight months ago, Imus was fired from his longtime syndicated CBS Radio show for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy headed hoes." ABC Radio Networks signed Imus in November for a reported $5 million.

"I will never say anything in my lifetime that will make any of these young women regret or feel foolish that they accepted my apology or forgave me," Imus told ABC's Barbara Walters as part of her upcoming "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007" special.

Imus also spoke out against black comedians Damon Wayans and D.L. Hughley, who have each joked publicly that the radio host's offensive comments were accurate.

"None of us should say it. They should talk to those women at Rutgers if they want to know how they feel about it," Imus said. "It was demonstrated to these young women that there are consequences to what you say."