Why Rush Limbaugh's Radio Network May Want Him Off The Air

Business Insider ^ | 05/09/2013 | Jim Edwards

[SeekAndFind]

Rush Limbaugh is engaged in a very public war with Cumulus Media, the radio network that runs his show on 40 stations, including WABC in New York.

Limbaugh and Cumulus must renegotiate their contract terms by the end of the year, so it's not surprising that they're jockeying for leverage.

But a source tells us that Cumulus has less to lose in this battle than most people think, and may even gain financially from Limbaugh's departure.

First, the back story: Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey recently told investors that the ad boycott of Limbaugh's show — after Rush called a Georgetown college student a "slut" on air because she favored contraception coverage in healthcare — may have cost him up to $5.5 million in sales.

Another source in Cumulus just leaked to Radio Ink that 48 out of 50 of its advertisers had "no Rush" instructions on their media placements.

Limbaugh fired back, saying that Dickey is blaming him for his own sales failings. He's threatened to pull his show from Cumulus, which has a reported 15 million-person audience and $363 million in ad sales running on it.

Why would Dickey risk all that cash? Why not just re-sign Limbaugh and keep the business?

Our source says that if Limbaugh left, Cumulus would regain control of a huge chunk of its on-air ad inventory, time that currently belongs to Limbaugh. In that scenario, Cumulus' total sales dollars would actually go up as long as the replacement show — Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush's audience. Our source says:

[kcvl]

Jim Edwards

[Vendome]

Cumulus’ total sales dollars would actually go up as long as the replacement show — Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush’s audience.

Shear right!!!

And monkey’s will start flying out of his azz ...

LOL

Huck sucks ...

[Biggirl]

What about WOR AM? Been hearing that Rush will end up most likely there.

[kevkrom]

I want Rush to stay on the air if for no other reason than he drives left-wingers nuts simply by being successful.

[Biggirl]

You forget that Rush is the “gold standard” that made the other conservative talkradio show hosts, local and national possible.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

The left has been marginally successful in their attack on Rush. The Sodomites got him with Florida orange juice. He is on various large advertisers not to use lists. He will probably survive by simply fading away and eventually retiring to a life of ease and pleasure.

Conservatives must accept that based upon inept conservative handling of the Leftist attack the left will ultimately become totally victorious. It is increasingly apparent that the conservative side of our society does not have the organization, intelligence, creativity and will required to prevail.

[rgboomers]

Mike Huckabee is the elevator music of talk radio. Mike Huckabee should only be on the radio at bedtime. Then he could provide a useful function, though the makers of sleeping pills might object.

[Vendome]

That’s just an idiotic pipe dream.

When Rush left KSFO, in the 9am slot, all I did was change channels to KKSF. Which enabled me to find Tom Sullivan, as Hannity’s alternative.

Rush is a very sticky product and his listeners will follow no matter where he goes.

[TSgt]

Good luck with that...

List of most-listened-to radio programs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-listened-to_radio_programs

#1 The Rush Limbaugh Show Conservative talk Midday 14+ Million

[SeekAndFind]

Huckabee isn’t even on the list... so, what’s this business of saying he has 50% of Rush Limbaugh’s audience?

[Osage Orange]

Mike Huckabee

ROFLOL!!!!!!!!!

[NormsRevenge]

a listener size of at least 10 MILLION !!

—

lol.. his wife doesn’t even listen to him, I bet.

[Gay State Conservative]

Let's see now...Rush or Huckabee,Rush or Huchabee?

Thinking....thinking....

[buckalfa]

"he drives left-wingers nuts--"

That in it self is worth while. As to media outlet contracts, Limbaugh is as shrewd as they come and he has no worries about his continued access to the airwaves. Yet in listening to Rush since the 2012 election, I get the impression he is burned out and has no heart left in spreading the conservative message. One does reach a certain age where money is no longer the primary factor in continuing to live.

[SharpRightTurn]

“as long as the replacement show — Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush’s audience.”

Yeah, and if JugEars becomes a capitalist I’ll win a million bucks.

[TSgt]

Exactly!

Huck wouldn’t keep 20% of Rush’s audience.

[SeekAndFind]

Popular radio shows in the United States

Talkers Magazine compiles Arbitron's data, along with other sources, to estimate the minimum weekly audiences of various commercial long-form talk radio shows.^[8] NPR and APM compile Arbitron's data for its public radio shows and releases analysis through press releases.^{[7][9][10][11][12]}

Program	Format	Daypart	Weekly Listeners in Millions
The Rush Limbaugh Show	Conservative talk	Midday	14+
The Sean Hannity Show	Conservative talk	East Coast PM Drive	13.25+
Morning Edition	Public news	AM Drive	12.3[13]
All Things Considered	Public news/talk	PM Drive	11.8[13]
Marketplace	Public news	PM Drive	9+
Delilah	Adult contemporary	Evenings	8+
The Dave Ramsey Show	Financial talk	Midday	7.75+
Glenn Beck Program	Conservative talk	West Coast AM Drive	7.5+
The Mark Levin Show	Conservative talk	West Coast PM Drive	7.5+
Fresh Air	Public news/talk	Midday	4.5[14]
A Prairie Home Companion	Public old-time radio	Weekends	4+
Coast to Coast AM	Paranormal talk	Overnights	3.5+
Talk of the Nation	Public talk	Midday	3.2[14]
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!	Public panel game show	Weekends	3.2[15]
After MidNite with Blair Garner	Country music	Overnights	2.7
The Lia Show	Country music	Evenings	2+[16]

Note on dayparts: because of the effects of time on North American broadcasting, nationally syndicated shows that air live will end up on different dayparts in different time zones. The above list makes note of this. Note that although shows such as Beck's and Levin's are listed under "West Coast" drive times, that their shows are based on the East Coast (and thus air in early midday and early evening time slots there). Their dayparts are indicated as such for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

The list is heavily skewed toward conservative talk radio and public radio due to the greater availability of data for those formats; other formats, particularly those for music, are not measured in as much detail, in part due to irregularities in scheduling.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Rush is not a great intellect but boy has he provided a big "pulpit" for conservative views. His performance has been invaluable. He has, at least, driven the left mad with impotent rage.

His only fault has been down playing his comedic attacks on various left wing shibboleths; i.e. feminism, environmentalist whacko's etc. etc. It appears sometimes that he is taking himself too seriously as a "pundit."

[madison10]

Cannot STAND Huckebee. If Rush goes, I go.

[freeandfreezing]

Cumulus' total sales dollars would actually go up as long as the replacement show — Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush's audience.

That sounds like a pretty risky assumption. From what I have read Mark Levin gets around 50% of Limbaugh's audience, as does Glenn Beck. Assuming Huckabee would do as well when he is likely to be up against Limbaugh in the same time slot seems wildly optimistic thinking to me.

Put another way, what percentage of Limbaugh's listeners are likely to switch to Huckabee's show. At best they'll jump back and forth between them.