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Why Rush Limbaugh's Radio Network May Want Him Off The Air
Business Insider ^ | 05/09/2013 | Jim Edwards

Posted on 05/09/2013 9:12:12 AM PDT by 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:

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cumulus; radio; rush; rushlimbaugh; talkradio; wabc
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To: SeekAndFind
If there is such an upside, then Cumulus would be waving bye-bye.

In related news, I heard Glen Beck laughing that he has more paying customers than Piers has free viewers.

41 posted on 05/09/2013 9:45:59 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (3 guns when you only have one arm? "I just don't want to get killed for lack of shooting back")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If Huckabee replaced Rush, his biggest Advertiser would be No Doze.


42 posted on 05/09/2013 9:46:19 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Obama / Clinton Benghazi (4), Ted Kennedy (1), my Gun Collection (0)...)
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To: NormsRevenge

Okay, now that one almost cost me a keyboard!


43 posted on 05/09/2013 9:46:39 AM PDT by alancarp (Obama will grab your guns and ship them to Mexican drug mobs.)
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To: SeekAndFind
The rumors out here in the Bay Area are that Cumulus wants to move Michael Savage into the noon to 3 slot opposite Limbaugh. That would be 9-12 on local KSFO.

I can't see it happening. Savage doesn't have the temperament for morning (for him) talk. I think he's personally more of a night owl, and does his best later in the day.

-PJ

44 posted on 05/09/2013 9:47:38 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: buckalfa

I beg to differ - reporting news that the main stream media even refuses to mention is a big deal.

Moreover, that doesn’t have anything to do with this article. Rush’s show is owned by a company whose parent company is Clear Channel, and Cumulus, a large competitor of Clear Channel, is the company with which there is this dispute, airing the show of its competitor on 40 of its stations and paying fees to carry the show. That’s what this is about. Rush would have no trouble finding other media outlets. They are making a gamble that if they air a program that is their own product, even if they lose half of the audience they could make more money. That’s quite a gamble to want to lose a full half of your listeners. I doubt Huckabee could hold 50% of Rush’s audience, especially since Rush would just move to another station for people to find.


45 posted on 05/09/2013 9:53:53 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: SeekAndFind

Rush will move to another company and keep on going if that is his plan and he leaves the current syndicator. Rush is the number one show and will have people follow to the lose of the current company. The media has attacked conservatives and lied and misrepresented facts since even before Reagan was president. So I wouldn’t trust much what they have to say.


46 posted on 05/09/2013 9:56:48 AM PDT by Mozilla
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To: ilgipper
Uh, yeah. They have more ad time to see for shows that have virtually zero audience.

Liberal talk radio has shown to be a huge commercial success / s

47 posted on 05/09/2013 9:57:10 AM PDT by llevrok (2013: - Obama vs America. The new cold war)
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To: SeekAndFind
Would not be the first stupid decision made by Cumulus Media:

New York (June 11, 2012) – Cumulus Media Networks, with more than 4,000 affiliate radio stations reaching 121 million listeners, will offer stations nationwide a live 9 am-noon radio show hosted by award-winning journalist and [69 year old] commentator Geraldo Rivera beginning August 13."

The blog I pulled this press release from said it best: "Geraldo repels radio listeners better than DEET could ever deter mosquitoes".

48 posted on 05/09/2013 9:58:45 AM PDT by alancarp (Obama will grab your guns and ship them to Mexican drug mobs.)
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To: MNlurker

Tom Delay is available...


49 posted on 05/09/2013 9:59:04 AM PDT by llevrok (2013: - Obama vs America. The new cold war)
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To: madison10
Cannot STAND Huckebee. If Rush goes, I go.

I can stand Huckebee but I will follow Rush. Never had a problem finding him scanning the radio when on the road.

50 posted on 05/09/2013 10:06:22 AM PDT by trubolotta
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To: SeekAndFind

An option, Rush could just buy them.....


51 posted on 05/09/2013 10:07:49 AM PDT by nevergore
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To: SeekAndFind

Won’t change a thing in our market; anybody who signs him will inherit immediate audience.


52 posted on 05/09/2013 10:08:13 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: buckalfa
I love listening to Rush but I honestly cannot ....bring myself to stop listening to him.............LOL!

23 years? Whatever he's doing wrong is working pretty good.......

You remind me of the guy who convinced Ford to build an Edsel............

53 posted on 05/09/2013 10:09:58 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: SeekAndFind

Huckabee?

Is he on radio?


54 posted on 05/09/2013 10:10:37 AM PDT by moovova
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To: Gaffer
He has the notariety, the money and the drive to say “eff it” and go his merry way without them.

He could probably start his own network, except for the FCC libs who would interfere with his licensing.

55 posted on 05/09/2013 10:10:50 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Just curious, why isn’t Michael Savage on that list? Or is that a dumb question......


56 posted on 05/09/2013 10:11:47 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: SeekAndFind

Huckster? HA!

they might as well resort to err america.

To advertisers: No Rush, No Money.

Rush means money.


57 posted on 05/09/2013 10:14:43 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Vendome
Rush is a very sticky product and his listeners will follow no matter where he goes.

So true.....here in the Metro Detroit area, a number of years ago Rush was carried by 1270 a.m. and they dumped him for sports talk.

WJR picked him up and hasn't regretted it. Meanwhile, the old 1270 tanked in ratings and has changed their noon day format several times trying to pick up listeners.......

58 posted on 05/09/2013 10:15:36 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: SeekAndFind

RUSH should get back on TV. He could do 2 hours on the radio and 1 hour on TV and grow his audience.

Imagine RUSH on FOX in the hour before O’Reilly?


59 posted on 05/09/2013 10:16:40 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: freeandfreezing
what percentage of Limbaugh's listeners are likely to switch to Huckabee's show.

Not me, there's several other top notch conservative hosts in my area in Rush's time slot and if Rush goes, I just switch to them.

I like Huckabee as a nice neighbor but not a "listen to" radio host.......

60 posted on 05/09/2013 10:18:31 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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