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 ...
Limbaugh signed a $400 million, eight-year contract in 2008 with what was then Clear Channel Communications making him the highest paid broadcaster on terrestrial radio. His contract is up for renewal in 2016 with the show facing declining ratings, an aging listenership, and a strained relationship with advertisers due, in part, to the Sandra Fluke controversy. In addition, Limbaugh's carrier, now known as iHeartMedia, is in a much poorer financial position than it was in 2008 as it now carries $20 billion in debt and has seen its stock price drop from $90 in 2000, when it was still known as Clear Channel, to $1.15 in 2016.
ping
I stopped listening to Rush a couple of year ago. Hannity as well. It’s the same old stuff every day..................
Trump will win and Rush will retire. I’ll take that trade.
He left ABC of his own volition to go to WOR radio - one of the best and most famous radio stations in New York. As did Sean Hannity.
Also, Rush has small businesses as advertisers. As does most of ‘right-wing’ talk shows. This story is full of more holes than my old colander.
Maybe he is losing listeners because for the last three months he has been pimping Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and he has been unlistenable.
Incidentally, calling Sandra Fluke a slut is being kind to her.
Hogwash. Give me specifics of this rather than you just making it up and throwing it out there. I am more likely to believe that advertisers are balking at the ad rate than some comment made years ago. If this crap were true, ad rates would be sliding, not rising. This piece is pretty much unsubstantiated BS.
Why is it always the conservative radio hosts? Why is there no report on the leftist media falling apart? Rush is going to be around for a while.
Is that old windbag still on the air?
I wonder how many like me stopped listening to him when he came out hard against Trump?
Same here. Maybe once or twice a month..........Hardly ever for Hannity.................
Started listening in 1991, the Clinton regime, stopped listening when I was thinking what he said BEFORE he said it. I am grateful for him in his earlier years and I think he will survive, Levin, BECK, NR, and the rest of the faux “CONSERVATIVE” talking heads..
This is such BS. Who cares or even remembers that Fluke slut anyway.
That article must have had 299,000 words. All to make it look like Rush is hurting somehow. Yet, misconceptions abound.
I suspect that the internet has affected his business. I’d probably listen to him if FR etc didn’t exist.
I stopped listening to RushRINO on any regular basis 4 years ago - grew tired of his Establishment rhetoric via his “golfing buddies”.
This past year, i’ve stopped listening to talk radio except on rare occasions - and then only Jeff Kuhner (noon-3pm) & Laura Ingraham (9am-noon).
I get more news on FR and CTH...and Drudge, of course.
Maybe he is losing listeners because for the last three months he has been pimping Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz,......Listen to yourself. Three months ago, Rubio and Cruz were DONE. Why would someone like Rush be “pimping” either one? Rush has said numerous times he would NOT endorse anyone he could get a story out of. You make no sense to me.
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