Limbaugh crowned No. 1 in talk radio again. Hannity #2, Savage #3. Where's Franken?

UPI ^ | 12/10/2005 12:45:00 PM -0500 | UPI

[rface]

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Talkers magazine reports conservative hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are the most popular radio hosts in the United States.

More than 13.75 million people listen to Limbaugh per week while Hannity draws more then 12.5 million weekly listeners, Talkers reported.

Michael Savage is third with more than 8 million listeners a week.

There is tie for fourth place between shock jock Howard Stern -- soon due to move to Sirius Satellite Radio -- and Dr. Laura Schlessinger with more than 7.75 million weekly listeners, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

Laura Ingraham filled out the Top 5 with more than 5 million.

Talkers said it used Arbitron data and "other reliable indicators" for its semiannual rankings report.

[trek]

"A great show while fishing."

Brilliantly put. Educate'n and relax'n all rolled into one entertaining package.

[cicero's_son]

It is amazing to me that talk radio remains such a wasteland of mediocrity.

Limbaugh is fantastic. As the original poster said, better now than ever.

But Hannity? Savage? These other guys are just terrible...borderline unlistenable.

Sean Hannity is the sole reason I listen to NPR--it is the only thing on in my town OTHER than him starting at 3pm.

[lesser_satan]

You used to see her as a guest on the news and talk shows a lot more. I haven't seen her in a year. Has she been banned?

I think she refuses to go on with those jerks, as her presence can only lend them credibility and boost their ratings.

[MRMEAN]

Hannity moved up big time from 2001; as has Savage, Savage was ranked 6 in 2001 and 5 in 2002. Hannity's big move looked like it happened in 2001; he must have picked up a lot more stations. I don't think that Hannity would be ranked as high on the radio if he didn't have the crossover audience from his FoxNews cable program.

---

Spring 2002 Ratings from Talkers Magazine

TOP TALK RADIO AUDIENCES BY SIZE
(Weekly cume low-end estimates 12-plus in millions rounded off to the nearest .25 million based upon TALKERS magazine analysis of a national sampling of Arbitron reports supported by other reliable indicators in rated and non-rated markets for SPRING, 2002)
1.	Rush Limbaugh	14.50+
2.	Sean Hannity	10.50+
3.	Dr. Laura Schlessinger	8.00+
3.	Howard Stern	8.00+
4.	Michael Savage	6.50+
5.	Art Bell - No longer on air	4.00+
5.	Jim Bohannon	4.00+
5.	Dr. Joy Browne	4.00+
5.	Don Imus	4.00+
6.	Neal Boortz	2.50+
6.	Ken & Daria Dolan	2.50+
6.	Clark Howard	2.50+
7.	Mike Gallagher	2.25+
7.	G. Gordon Liddy	2.25+
8.	Glenn Beck	1.75+
8.	Kim Komando	1.75+
8.	Jime Rome	1.75+
8.	Doug Stephan	1.75+
8.	Bruce Williams	1.75+
9.	Tom Leykis	1.50+
9.	Michael Medved	1.50+
9.	Bill O'Reilly	1.50+
9.	Dave Ramsey	1.50+
10.	Bob Brinker	1.25+
10.	Dr. Dean Edell	1.25+
10	Phil Hendrie	1.25+
10.	Rusty Humphries	1.25+

Fall 2001 Ratings from Talkers Magazine

TOP TALK RADIO AUDIENCES BY SIZE
(Weekly cume low-end estimates 12-plus in millions rounded off to the nearest .25 million based upon TALKERS magazine analysis of a national sampling of Arbitron reports supported by other reliable indicators in rated and non-rated markets for FALL, 2001)
1.	Rush Limbaugh	14.50+
2.	Dr. Laura Schlessinger	10.00+
3.	Howard Stern	8.00+
4.	Dr. Joy Browne	5.00+
4.	Sean Hannity	5.00+
4.	Michael Savage	5.00+
5.	Art Bell	4.25+
5.	Jim Bohannon	4.25+
5.	Don Imus	4.25+
6.	Neal Boortz	2.50+
6.	Ken and Daria Dolan	2.50+
6.	Clark Howard	2.50+
7.	Michael Gallagher	2.25+
7.	G. Gordon Liddy	2.25+
7.	Bruce Williams	2.25+
8.	Kim Komando	1.75+
8.	Tom Leykis	1.75+
8.	Jim Rome	1.75+
8.	Doug Stephan	1.75+
9.	Bob Brinker	1.25+
9.	Matt Drudge	1.25+
9.	Dr. Dean Edell	1.25+
9.	Michael Medved	1.25+
9.	Dave Ramsey	1.25+
10.	Glenn Beck	1.00+
10.	Phil Hendrie	1.00+
10.	Opie & Anthony	1.00+
10.	Michael Reagan	1.00+

Source: THE TALK RADIO RESEARCH PROJECT - From Talkers Magazine ... page includes lots of other interesting industry data.

Don't see a frame with buttons to your left? Click here.

[yooling]

What I wouldn't give for that little P.O.S. to put his finger in my face like that . Just once.

[BradyLS]

Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham are great. They're on too early in the morning here to get very much audience.

[USS Alaska]

"You are right about the "on the cutting edge" stuff that Rush pushes that is in fact hours to days old, but many here won't want to hear that.."

"On the cutting edge of societal evolution" not every headline. You want that, go read drudge. Rush is a master and without him, the demonRATs would still have the house. Some of the rest of the right wing guys {and gals} are very good, but it wouldn't have happened without Rush's commercial success. Hannity got his national radio start filling in for the Marha Rushie, prior to that he was one wabc in nyny.

[Popman]

Savage is the best, being an Independent in the first place.

Savage is 50% genius, 50% moron. It's hard to tell the difference when he switches between the two.

Mike really knows about three topics very well, better than everybody else on the radio.

The rest he just makes up.

[Dad yer funny]

Sarge!! yer makin' me blush , because I know what a gloryhole is ,... I'd have to quess most FReepers don't , or eh

[Dustbunny]

Thank you, have book marked it. I live in an area that has little or no radio reception depending on the weather.

[maine-iac7]

re Bennett I don't respect a man losing $8 million on the slot machines.

That's that "throw the baby out with the bathwater" mentality that I spoke of. (Not to mention a dite judgmental? Or maybe a touch of envy?)

[Echo Talon]

That's nothin'. Glen Beck was bumped here in Northern Ohio, and replaced by Jerry Springer!

I like Glen Beck :D Ya sick twisted freak! :) he has some good parody's.

[pepperhead]

O'Reilly might be doing a good job on the issues lately but his show is still really painful to listen to.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Nobody from NPR on the list? How about Diane Reed? Anyone at FR know who Diane Reed is? LOL.

[SaxxonWoods]

Hannity does not impress me at all, he makes out in the Denver market because Rush is his lead-in. His TV show with Colmes is banned in my home since Dec. 5, when Colmes accused US troops of practicing terrorism in Iraq. IMO, Hannity should have walked off the set.

Hewitt gets great interviews, and keeps them on for more than 3 minutes, so you can get some depth. This makes him worthwhile on the drive home.

Savage has his moments, but is mainly entertainment, not heavyweight thought, and will take any position that he thinks will bring in calls, he is not very principled, IMO.
His best contribution has been: "Liberalism is a mental disorder."

Dennis Praeger is my number 2 favorite, behind the Mahah Rushdi, of course.

[BradyLS]

Savage sas a lot of things that others won't. And he's often right. He doesn't et much love on FR, but I'm glad he's got an audience.

[Echo Talon]

who?

[Mears]

bfl

[maine-iac7]

I agree. The Savage numbers kind of surprise me. The GOP should definitely be paying attention.

I surmise that Savage gets a giant boost from his 'going home from work' time slot.

If Rush had a better time slot - he'd rocket off the charts so far there'd be no 2nd, 3rd, etc

[Liberfighter]

Your right. Sean started nation wide on 9/11. Instantly his show was with close to 300. Rush started with nothing. And now makes 30mil a year.