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Limbaugh's Audience Size? It's Largely Up in the Air (when every other attack fails..)
WaPo ^ | Mar 07, 2009 | Paul Farhi

Posted on 03/07/2009 2:35:05 PM PST by libh8er

How many people actually listen to Rush Limbaugh, the radio talk titan White House officials have spent the past week characterizing as "the head of the Republican Party"?

According to what Limbaugh delights in calling "the drive-by media," the number varies wildly. Is it 30 million (Pat Buchanan on MSNBC), 20 million (Time magazine, ABC News), 19 million (Fox News), 14 million (CNN), or "14.2 million to about 25 million" (The Washington Post)?

Answer: Maybe.

Limbaugh is widely acknowledged to be the most popular talk-radio host, as evidenced by the record $400 million, eight-year contract he signed with his syndicator last July. But estimates of Limbaugh's nationwide (and overseas) audience are exercises in guesswork, slippery methodology and suspect data. Limbaugh himself has muddied the water with the claim that he reaches 20 million people a week, although there's no independent support for that figure.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: limabugh; wapo
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1 posted on 03/07/2009 2:35:06 PM PST by libh8er
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To: libh8er

When every other attack on Rush fails, challenge his audience size..


2 posted on 03/07/2009 2:35:46 PM PST by libh8er
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To: libh8er

Hahahahahaha...

Rush wins again


3 posted on 03/07/2009 2:37:38 PM PST by Tamatoa (Fight for our America, Fight for our Country I fought to defend!!!)
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To: libh8er

What IS his audience size? Does it matter?


4 posted on 03/07/2009 2:38:45 PM PST by worst-case scenario (Striving to reach the light)
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To: libh8er

I thought size didn’t matter...?


5 posted on 03/07/2009 2:39:41 PM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: libh8er

Well, whatever it is, all of this free publicity isn’t going to do anything but help. Thanks, libs!


6 posted on 03/07/2009 2:40:13 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: libh8er

When they get through trying to measure the millions who listen to Rush on the radio, they can go onto trying to measure how many millions listen to him over he Internet.


7 posted on 03/07/2009 2:40:43 PM PST by pallis
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To: libh8er

Easy; bigger than CNN; bigger than MSNBC; bigger than ABC.


8 posted on 03/07/2009 2:41:13 PM PST by steve8714 (Drill for oil, drill for gas, drill to heat water in the Earth.)
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To: libh8er

Easy answer.

Look at the rates his advertisers are willing to pay.

Unlike talentless journalists and politicians, businessmen rely on facts, and will DEMAND accurate audience measures before they fork over advertising dollars.


9 posted on 03/07/2009 2:41:43 PM PST by EyeGuy
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To: 2banana

I think they know enough to justify $400mn over 8 years.


10 posted on 03/07/2009 2:42:11 PM PST by sobieski
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To: steve8714

Actually bigger than all of them put together.


11 posted on 03/07/2009 2:42:33 PM PST by libh8er
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To: libh8er
But estimates of Limbaugh's nationwide (and overseas) audience are exercises in guesswork

On the other hand, estimates as to the readership of the Washington Post are exercises in nano statististics.

12 posted on 03/07/2009 2:43:07 PM PST by outofstyle (There's a rake at the gates of Hell tonight)
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Rush Limbaugh...

Who?

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

13 posted on 03/07/2009 2:43:37 PM PST by Cyber Ninja (His legacy is a stain OnTheDress)
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To: libh8er

While others do have fun listening to Rush, I can’t do it. For one, I just can’t see spending that kind of time. It’s just too much time involved. I would never get anything else done. It’s bad enough just participating on Free Republic (for “time” considerations... LOL...).

So, I pick Free Republic over Rush... :-)


14 posted on 03/07/2009 2:44:50 PM PST by Star Traveler
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To: libh8er
I often wondered whether that 20,000,000 per week is the same 4,000,000 people listening 5 days a week or 20,000,000 "unique visitors" to use the Internet term.

If anyone knows the answer for sure they should post what they've heard.

15 posted on 03/07/2009 2:45:03 PM PST by InterceptPoint
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To: libh8er

Why don’t these people get a life? Better yet, why don’t they analyze what’s going on in the government, instead of exercising their obvious fascination with Rush Limbaugh?

This country reminds me more and more of “1984”. Got to have somebody to hate. I don’t remember who the villain was. Anybody know?


16 posted on 03/07/2009 2:45:05 PM PST by popdonnelly (It's fair to ask: did the voters elect a nut?)
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To: libh8er
ROTFLMAO

They have no idea about the size of Rush’s audience, but they know exactly the number illegals (12 million - hasn't changed in 8 years) and the exact number of uninsured (48 million except 6 months ago, dingy harry proclaimed 50 million)

17 posted on 03/07/2009 2:45:19 PM PST by stylin19a (Obama - the ethical exception asterisk administration)
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To: libh8er
“Excuse us why we pick some fly crap out of pepper.” Worthless print.
18 posted on 03/07/2009 2:45:44 PM PST by carolinacrazy (Bow to your sensei.... BOW TO YOUR SENSEI...... www.jackassdemocrats.com)
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To: steve8714

“bigger than MSNBC”

I have a bigger audience than MSNBC, and I’m not even on the radio!


19 posted on 03/07/2009 2:46:57 PM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Hitler was a great speaker too, and HE didn't need a teleprompter.)
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To: libh8er

I don’t have that number but I suspect it’s true. 22 million is what he has said, and I think that is independently arrived at.


20 posted on 03/07/2009 2:47:06 PM PST by steve8714 (Drill for oil, drill for gas, drill to heat water in the Earth.)
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