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Is Rush Limbaugh in Trouble?
Politico Magazine ^ | May 24, 2016 | Ethan Epstein

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; articleonrush; concerntroll; demagogicparty; election2016; ethanepstein; limbaugh; memebuilding; newyork; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; politico; rush; rusharticle; rushlimbaugh; sandrafluke; sluts; slutshaming; talkradio; trump
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To: boycott

Would love to see Mark Steyn take over for him.


81 posted on 05/30/2016 1:56:58 PM PDT by dowcaet
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To: Red Badger

Ditto dat......


82 posted on 05/30/2016 1:57:16 PM PDT by Squantos ( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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To: ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton

“I wonder how many like me stopped listening to him when he came out hard against Trump?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me! I listened for 27 years, gave him up and never looked back!


83 posted on 05/30/2016 1:57:42 PM PDT by alicewonders
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To: JudyinCanada
Why did he support Cruz this strongly? And this right after Robot Rubio the Gang of 8 guy? Because he saw both of them as establishment guys?

I have listened to Rush off and on, and sometimes he has been quite good. However, I do not recall he expressing outrage over the invasion of this country.

84 posted on 05/30/2016 2:02:37 PM PDT by apocalypto
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To: Pelham
He’s not all that well read, he rarely if ever speaks of any serious books that he’s read.

Now that all depends on how you define "well read" in contemporary terms.

Unarguably, Limbaugh consumes vast swaths of "news and analysis." Does that mean that someone who knew GWB was following Sharansky's thesis from "The Case for Democracy" is a more profound thinker?

I don't know.

Certainly, there is something to be said for the "jack of all" with a balanced perspective, as opposed to the "master of one" and all the intellectual and philosophical commitments that go along with it.

85 posted on 05/30/2016 2:03:54 PM PDT by papertyger (-/\/\/\-)
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To: Kahuna

I can’t find much fault in Rush’s support for Cruz. I also started the primary campaign with 2 modest cash donations to Ted. As events unfolded I converted to Trump and was interested in Rush’s take. Although I don’t tune in daily I have not heard any major criticisms of Donald by Limbaugh. Maybe I just missed them? As far as this Politico piece goes, it’s a wet dream for the libs and is about 80% bogus. No one in the history of radio has come close to matching the success of the EIB network.


86 posted on 05/30/2016 2:04:13 PM PDT by Kahuna
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To: dowcaet

Megadittos to that x 1000.


87 posted on 05/30/2016 2:04:38 PM PDT by americas.best.days... ( I think we can now say that they are behind us.)
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To: EveningStar
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.”

Nothing new here. Some national advertisers have been sending out notices to radio stations for at least two decades warning stations not to air their commercials in or "adjacent" to Rush's program.

88 posted on 05/30/2016 2:05:59 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono
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To: EveningStar

Yet another commie lib written obituary in their endless line of Limbaugh obituaries.


89 posted on 05/30/2016 2:06:06 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (It's time to take the ticks out of politics.)
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To: tflabo

Look at old man Don Imus...Imus was great in the 1970s’. He called Hertz to rent a Shelby Cobra on Memorial Day to race. There were so many other funny scenarios that I have forgotten. I wish they had been recorded and archived. I can’t find any of them.


90 posted on 05/30/2016 2:06:57 PM PDT by Safetgiver (Islam makes barbarism look genteel.)
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To: EveningStar

Flush Limpbar. Did he everything he could to sink the Nationalist/Populism uprising. All he is is a sheepdog, herding the people, so they don’t stray far from the GOPe/Rino elites.


91 posted on 05/30/2016 2:07:06 PM PDT by heights
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To: Fungi

“I read the entire article. It mentions how JC Penny and Sears “refused” to return. Excuse me? JC Penney and Sears can barely pay their own employees much less advertise on a national show.”

Indeed. The exact same thought jumped out at me too.


92 posted on 05/30/2016 2:07:15 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: heights

He Did..........


93 posted on 05/30/2016 2:07:35 PM PDT by heights
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To: ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton

Limbaugh, levin, and others were getting piad by a former radio exec and super pac to stump for cruz. I have stopped listening weeks ago.


94 posted on 05/30/2016 2:07:54 PM PDT by biggredd1
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To: dowcaet

I like him too.


95 posted on 05/30/2016 2:08:36 PM PDT by boycott (--s)
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To: EveningStar
After 28 years on the national scene, Rush's shtick is getting old. Like that old comfortable tattered bath robe there comes a time when it should go. Rush just seems bored when he is on the air. Limbaugh should be thanked for his great contributions in spreading the conservative gospel and be allowed to fade away.
96 posted on 05/30/2016 2:08:43 PM PDT by buckalfa (I am feeling much better now.)
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To: EveningStar

He’s never been the same since he had those issues back in ‘01/’02. Became a total Bushbot and party hack. And rarely funny. You could tell he was on a short leash. Painful and sad to listen to.


97 posted on 05/30/2016 2:09:01 PM PDT by Forgotten Amendments (Nessie ... Sasquatch ... The Free Syrian Army ...)
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To: EveningStar

Rush has been one of the more stable radio voices. I had a moment after Obama’s second usurpation (lol) where the whole talk radio thing seemed like a total sham. No real power, no real influence except preaching to the choir, helping us to not feel like we were crazy.

It hit me that regardless of his importance, Rush was POWERLESS in the end but would sail on with his mega millions. The chaos has been good for HIM.

I realized that wasn’t fair to him and I occasionally listen on the way to work. But I don’t think any of it makes a difference. My sense is they’re all collapsing because of this shared disillusionment.


98 posted on 05/30/2016 2:10:11 PM PDT by avenir (I'm pessimistic about man, but I'm optimistic about GOD!)
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To: apocalypto

rush and othere were getting PAID to support cruz. Limbaugh lost all cred.


99 posted on 05/30/2016 2:10:39 PM PDT by biggredd1
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To: DennisR

“I have actually tried to listen to Alan Colmes”

Why?

“but could not stand listening to him after about three minutes.”

Your stomach is WAY longer than mine; when Colmes used to come on an FNC show, I ALWAYS skipped whatever segment he was one. Same as Juan Williams. Same as when Bob Beckel was on. They’re ALL nauseating, but somehow Colmes was the most vomit-inducing of the bunch.


100 posted on 05/30/2016 2:11:28 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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