Posted on 05/30/2016 12:46:50 PM PDT by EveningStar
Earlier this year, as that unmistakable bass line of the Pretenders’ My City Was Gone faded into the background, Rush Limbaugh opened his daily three-hour broadcast with characteristic bombast. “[According to the] latest research data,” he intoned, “the audience is expanding at near geometric proportions, as people seek guidance, answers, explanations, information, and an answer to the basic question, ‘What the hell is happening out there?’" ...
And yet, there are signs that all is not well in the Limbaugh radio empire. Because even as his influence is sky high and his dominance at the top of talk radio remains unchallenged, as a business proposition, Limbaugh’s show is on shaky ground. In recent years, Limbaugh has been dropped by several of his long-time affiliates, including some very powerful ones: He’s gone from WABC in New York, WRKO in Boston and KFI in Los Angeles, for example, and has in many cases been moved onto smaller stations with much weaker signals that cover smaller areas.
Why? Because four years after Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” on air, spurring a major boycott movement, reams of advertisers still won’t touch him. He suffers from what talk radio consultant Holland Cooke calls a “scarlet letter among national brand advertisers.” And for someone who has said that “confiscatory ad rates” are a key pillar of his business, that spells trouble. (Limbaugh ignored multiple interview requests.)
Limbaugh’s extremely lucrative eight-year contract—estimated to be worth roughly $38 million a year—is up this summer ...
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Something which never occurred. Indeed, many were frustrated with him because he was always talking about him in glowing terms and ignoring so many other things. When he took liberal positions on issues he did indeed a few times point it out (such as the bathroom issue and 9/11, etc.), but otherwise he has spoken of him in glowing terms.
Politico is indulging in wishful thinking. That being said, I stopped listening after the “fluke” incident because he became too PC.
I think it’s because he started thinking of himself as a political player rather than an entertainer. And he’s always been more politically correct and GOPe than some may realize.
Back in 1994 when we were fighting the GOP establishment over Prop 187 we couldn’t get Rush to lift a finger to help with the huge illegal immigration problem here in California. For over a decade he wouldn’t take any immigration calls until the huge fight over Dubya’s amnesty erupted, no thanks to Rush- then it was “wait! wait! I’m your leader!” as he ran to the front of the line of angry pitchfork wielding conservatives who had had enough of GW Bush and his Mexico love.
LOL - no they weren’t.
Good grief what nonsense!
The problem with calling Fluk a slut wasn’t really with his listeners, although I would have preferred he not dwell on it as long as he did, it was that it gives ammunition to his enemies to silence him, by way of getting his advertisers to pull out - sure, he had others ready to go, but they don’t pay nearly as much - it made his show less marketable - not to mention that it accomplished absolutely NOTHING. It was the kind of mistake he never made until then. Also, without a doubt, it forced him off a number of radio stations. But he is human, and I dare anyone to try to do what he did for over 25 years without making some mistakes.
I agree with others here that his gushing over Rubio was totally uncalled for. Rubio is a PATHETIC LIAR and he very nearly gave our country away to the Third World. The best place for him is a small law firm in Orlando. Rush had NO BUSINESS gushing the way he did over Rubio, considering that Rubio stood for EXACTLY what Rush despises in the GOP, which is the push for Open Borders and Amnesty. I could care less if Rubio can deliver a great speech about the American Dream, since it OBVIOUSLY means nothing to him. And Rush lost it on Cruz towards the end - he should have tried to SHUT DOWN Cruz, particularly after Cruz blamed Trump for the rioting in Chicago. He may have been able to save Cruz’s Senate career. But now this Texan will definitely not vote for him in his 2018 Primary and may not even vote for him if he even makes it to November in two years. I had loved Cruz, but he has a big job ahead to get my vote ever again.
But given all that, Rush has DEFINITELY turned himself around in the past few weeks, and now is full throttle for Trump. I suspect Trump’s release of potential Supreme Court nominees had a lot to do with it. I expect Trump’s new attitude to greatly help his show, too.
Yes he did
However, he apologized. The apology is what hurt him and his credibility.
In all fairness to Rush he was selling lots of advertising to the Cruz campaign.
It’d be worse for business to take their money and
not be supportive.
Rush is still the best by a long shot.
And by the way the slut is nowhere to be seen.
I’d be tempted to agree, but I think political advertising is a different animal than commercial advertising. You don’t have to support the guys that pay you political advertising. Example: Suppose Hillary was rooting around for disgruntled Republican voters on Rush’s show. Should he be supportive of Her Thighness?
I certainly did! I'd been listening to him since the middle 90's every day that I could. Now it's been over 2 months since I've turned him on.
I remember when Trump was first becoming popular Rush seemed to be enjoying and agreeing with everything he was doing. He'd compliment him about his handling of the press, and spoke of how he'd played golf with him on occasions, and I really looked forward to hearing him extol his virtues. Then I don't know what happened, but it was almost like the lemmings in that Rush started to be critical, then Bauer and Rose, then Wilkow, and of course Levin was bashing him.
The only one who has seemed to stay neutral and fair IMO has been Hannity and so I've been listening to his radio program.
(Limbaugh ignored multiple interview requests.)
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Why would Rush ever grant an interview request to Politico? (rhetorical)
We here on FR are usually more informed than Rush.
My opinion is that he uses FR as an unattributed show prep.
He has been exposed this year as something many of knew for sometime now—he is a minder of conservatives to keep them on the GOP plantation.
All talk, no action.
Rush’s problem in WRKO in Boston was that he cost the station around $1 million a year due to the bundled ads that ran with the program. Perhaps this is a sign of declining ratings, but it also may be that Rush makes better sense for smaller stations/
I think that Rush as a phenomenon will continue, as his faithful listeners know how to change the dial.
It’s hardly Sandra “Slut” Fluke who is doing Rush in. That’s ridiculous! With all the trash that advertisers currently sponsor on prime time, does the word “slut” really offend them?
What advertisers fear most are boycotts from both conservative and liberal viewers. The advertisers are sensitive to boycotts and protests of any political persuasion,not just Fluke feminazis.
Also there’s a huge surplus of programming in the Internet era. Even the supposedly apolitical Fox television runs low-budget cheapo advertising. So do local networks with their boring half-hour long infomercials.
Just because the Limbaugh show runs amateurish low-budget ads doesn’t mean his bottom line is suffering more than anybody else’s. Lack of advertising support is an industry-wide problem then hundreds of channels are begging for ads.
I stopped
This story would have you to believe that if only he had not called Sandra Fluke a slut, everything would be fine. That comment cost him billions.
I suspect that the internet has affected his business. I’d probably listen to him if FR etc didn’t exist.
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Same here but I would not have known about F.R. except, he was talking about F.R. one day on his web site, even provided a link, I’ve been a member ever since, thanks to Rush
So, Rush’s next contract extension might only be $200 million. Yeah, he’s in deep trouble.
He turned 65 in January.
I’d think he would be happy to retire and golf for the rest of his life but that gold digging wife won’t let him.
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