Top Talk Radio Shows by Audience Size and Ideology

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[Asphalt]

1. Rush Limbaugh (Conservative)

14.50

2. Sean Hannity (Conservative)

11.75

3. Dr. Laura Schlessinger (Conservative)

8.50

Howard Stern (Non-ideological)

8.50

5. Michael Savage(Conservative)

7.00

6. Jim Bohannon (Moderate)

4.00

Dr. Joy Browne(Non-political)

4.00

Don Imus (Non-ideological)

4.00

George Noory (Non-political)

4.00

10. Neal Boortz (Libertarian)

2.50

Mike Gallagher(Conservative)

2.50

Clark Howard (Non-political)

2.50

13. Glenn Beck(Conservative)

2.00

Ken and Daria Dolan (Non-political)

2.00

G. Gordon Liddy(Conservative)

2.00

Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner (Non-ideological)

2.00

17. Kim Komando(Non-political)

1.75

Bill O'Reilly (Conservative)

1.75

Jim Rome (Non-political)

1.75

20. Bob Brinker (Non-political)

1.50

Rusty Humphries(Conservative)

1.50

Michael Medved(Conservative)

1.50

Dave Ramsey (Non-political)

1.50

24. Dr. Dean Edell (Non-political)

1.25

Phil Hendrie (Non-ideological)

1.25

Laura Ingraham(Conservative)

1.25

Tom Leykis (Non-ideological)

1.25

Bruce Williams (Non-political)

1.25

[ru4liberty]

Medved is great, but Savage is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too angry for me. He may have some good points, but his hateful delivery is the wrong way to get the message out.

[international american]

"Dean Edell is a hard left blowhard. He is a total bait and switch liar "

Just a more obnoxious version of Alan Colmes.

[perfect stranger]

A real shame Bill Bennett isn't on that list. They don't know what they're missing.

[william clark]

Thanks for the link. I've just recently discovered Babylon 5, and enjoyed his work in that. Seems like a good guy to have on one's side in a tussle, even an ideological one.

[Final Authority]

You do admit and I recognize that GWB is not the ideal conservative candidate. Anti free speech is not conservative. Opening our borders to invaders from the south is not conservative. Allowing a $100 billion monthly trade imbalance seems hardly conservative. Does it to you?

I bet you are a Rush follower. I hear it every day. GOP good. Dems bad. Doesn't matter what the issue is, oh, I forgot, Rush does criticize GWBs handling of the criminal alien problem. I suspect that I am more traditional as a conservative than many on these threads. I am for conserving the US Constitution and by way of that, our Nation. I am not only for the conservation of a political party. BTW, is taking a point to an extreme a sign that I am not a true conservative? Yea, I know he can't do anything by fiat but his idea of law would. That is the point. He would call criminal aliens legal workers by a stroke of the pen. A person who refuses to uphold his oath of office is not a conseravtive in my estimation nor in the estimation of many Constitutionalists.

[Mobile Vulgus]

---I think you could retract that comment or at a minimum offer it as an opinion of how you see him.

I retract nothing. However, I already said this is my "opinion of how I see him". I msot certainly could be wrong!

I would say he has no serious principles. He is a scare monger, a scandal exploiter, a loud mouth. He is little different than Michael Moore. His being at the bottom of the list of guys that are in the most markets should prove something there. His overreactionalism is why he will never beat the guys above him. In fact, I'd say he has nowhere to go but down as other hosts who are just at the beginning of large exposure eat at his ratings.

As to your point about "every talk show host" does it. To a degree you are correct, of course. But there is a difference when you can truly believe that the guy is saying what he beliees in. I can't listen to Savage anymore because everything he says is just sensationalism for the sake of sensationalism. He is an exploiter of over emotionalism. A ranter. The term lunatic fits him perfectly.

Now, I should point out that I don't think EVERYONE who listens to him is a nutcase. I only think his solid, core audience fits this description. I shouyld also say that nearly every talk show host has a core group of fans who thin the guy walks on water.

It would be interesting to see how many stations all these hosts on the list are on. A rating is one thing, but if the 7th guy on the list has just a tad lower rating than the 5 guy, yet the 7th guy is on fewer stations, that would be a big deal for the 7th guy!

[Final Authority]

A big reason why he has a smaller audience is his time slot on the east coast and the fact that sports broadcasts preempt many of his shows throughout the year. Head to head against Laura and others in his time slot he does quite well. He is a big hit in Boston and in NYNY and I think you must know he is big even in SF CA.

I believe his ratings continue to climb and as they problem of criminal aliens comes to a head he will only gain more exposure. His latest book "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" apparently is doing well and that will give him even further exposure.

Anecdotally, my father-in-law listens to Rush but of late has taken a liking to Savage as he thinks Rush lets the GOP off the hook to easy on all sorts of issues and is sick of hearing Rush talk about his latest party or golf game. He took a while to get used to Savage and still thinks he is a bit over the top on a lot of his rants but he likes his intellect and considers his heart in the right place for the future of our nation. Borders, language, and culture.

[beaversmom]

I've heard Medved say his listenership is in the 2 million range.

[Mobile Vulgus]

I find your excuse of "sport preemptions" a poor one. His time slot varies in most markets. I get him in the evening here, for instance.

Still, I think that his audience will only get smaller and sooner rather than later. I agree with many above who say that Savage is a detriment to our cause. His temper tantrums and antics make us all look small, mean and selfish.

He does have some fun aspects to his show, of course. But I find the only time he appeals to me is when I am having a bad day. Then his spite and vitriol fits my black mood. But who could be so hateful ALL the time and be sane???

The is 100% demogogue.

[xzins]

I'm surprised that Dr Laura outpolls Michael Savage by a decent amount and Glenn Beck by a lot.

Our local network dumped an early evening Dr Laura in favor of Savage and they bumped Laura to late night.

Given these numbers, I'd go back to Laura.

I actually enjoy Beck more that Dr Laura, and Savage is a nutcase. Our local talent....McConnel & Cunningham...is better than Savage by far.

[spintreebob]

Who made up the labels "conservative", "non-political" etc. Nancy Skinner non-political? You've got to be kidding. Bob Brinker non-political? Again you're kidding. Of course, the difference between non-political Skinner and non-political Brinker is that Skinner holds to an extremely narrow and rigid ideology where as Brinker is more eclectic and pragmatic. But that does not make him any less political. He just doesn't fit some people's cookie cutters.

[RightWinger]

The Glenn Beck Show is great & funny, should be higher.

[Josh in PA]

I think Hannity is far more whiney..

Medved is far more intelligent, which is why I prefer him over Hannity.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

It should read: Don Imus (non-sensical)

Very good.....and I would add "bully."

[Frank_Discussion]

"Thanks for the link."

No Problemo.

"I've just recently discovered Babylon 5, and enjoyed his work in that."

The bulk of my hard classes in college hit when the second season of the show started, so I had zippo time to watch them then. A few months ago my local library got the entire set of episodes, and I plowed through them sequentially over about a month.

GOOOOD stuff!

"Seems like a good guy to have on one's side in a tussle, even an ideological one."

I do believe you're right.

[mhking]

A clear-thinking liberal Democrat

"...but as sure as you're born, you're never gonna see no unicorn..."

[Final Authority]

Savage's audience is actually growing as he is adding radio stations carrying his show and the fact that listeners believe his to be their mouthpiece for the traditional values that define a Nation, that is, Borders, Language, and culture.

For many who nod their heads to Rush everyday and chant, GOP good, Dems bad, Savage is a confusing and troubling voice of reason.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Those who think Bush not the "ideal" candidate are too far removed from what the electorate will accept to be of much use in winning elections. Politics is the art of compromise not the ramrodding of extreme views down the throats of the electorate. My views, your views and the views of most of the FR are far too conservative to be acceptable to the majority of voters. An "ideal" conservative acceptable to you would get 25% of the vote. Look at the Keyes campaign in Illinois for an example.

Free Trade is far more conservative than any competing economic theory. If by "anti-free speech" you are referring to the CFR I suggest your concern is based on fantasy not reality since the only speech even slightly curtailed is the speech of idiots too dumb to get around this stupid law. This was what I predicted all along and the SBV campaign proved me correct.

One cannot have a Trade Deficit with a floating exchange rate but the media is too stupid to explain this to the poor dumb rubes dependent upon it for economic knowledge. A Trade deficit only is a viable concept under Fixed exchange rate regimes using gold as an international standard of account. A study of International Finance could be of use here.

It may shock you to learn that only within the last half century has there been ANY concern about illegal immigration from Mexico. For over a century Mexicans wandered in and out at will with NO concern by the authorities. The current problem is one that is a result of the great wealth disparity between the countries and not easily solved.

Rush is ok but not generally too interesting since he went off the deep end over the Schiavo disaster.

You are mischaracterizing Bush's potential action wrt illegals which involves much more than the "stroke of a pen" and I doubt your understanding of the Constitution is that great given the mistaken nature of your reasoning and substitution of and use of rhetoric rather than reasoned analysis of what is possible given the state of the American voter.

Conservative in no way means "One who ignores the Possible and holds out for the Impossible." It is also important to realize that our enemies understand very well who is or is not conservative. Thus, their insane hatred of Bush is sufficient proof that he is a Stone Conservative.

[Final Authority]

I believe GWB signed the CFR into law thinking the USSC would strike the offending parts to the first amendment. He knew and simply did not do what is right.

Tell me directly that the US has no imbalance of international trade. Please tell me and others how that is so.

So, GWB was demonstrating his conservatism by sending $15 billion to a shite hole in Africa to fight AIDS? Tell me directly that he is conservative again.

You throw around the words "idiots" and "dumb" and awful lot. Me thinks you protest too much. Keep those thoughts to yourself, Ditto head.

[Cate]

quick math in head--- 63.75% of audiences are considered conservative. Its a lovely day in the neighborhood :)