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 ...
yeah... people would give up Rush to listen to Mike Huckabee...
Huckabee’s a great guy and all, but I alawys think he would be right at home on an episode of “Andy of Mayberry”
And he is only a couple years older then me.
Rush and Beck should team-up and start a media conglomerate!
Cumulus has some leftist in the boardroom who is looking for an excuse to help the left. I know of businesses who have no MSNBC and no CNN clauses. (others that have no Oprah clauses)
usually those are NOT POLITICAL but rather targeted audiences. I would imagine support amnesty would not be a well placed add or do business in NYC ads either.
um...yeah, right
It is the GOP establishment that is pushing hard to get rid of Rush.
I believe 40 other stations would be happy to get Rush!! (WOR for instance)
In your OPINION that is.
Rush doesn’t consider that the bang is worth the buck. Too much production goes into a TV show. On radio he just wings it - not saying he doesn’t prepare, but he doesn’t have a script - and that doesn’t work on TV. So, having tried both, Rush considers that he’s a talk radio personality, and is out of his element on TV.
Prediction, look for Rush to go to WOR AM and look for that station to take off in the rations.
Limbaugh is regular listening. The others are “happen to be listening”
Hi!
Look for WOR AM to get Rush and its “sucess” ratings will be off the charts.
That is why I call Rush is the “gold standard” of talkradio.
Exactly. Rush’s show is carried in my market by the local Clear Channel station, not by Cumulus. If the Cumulus affiliates cut Rush loose, he’ll just go to their Clear Channel competitor in those locales. Cumulus is going to bury itself if they do this.
This should give you confort:
Do you realize how many advertisers are MIA especially with Mother’s day coming Sunday?
Sharri’s Berry’s
ProFlowers.com
Rush carried those on his back; now you can only find them as internet ads on FB or on some cable TV channel at midnight. Sheesh!
Great words of encouragement. You must be a motivational speaker. Why don’t you post a flyer for your next inspirational speaker slot.
The narrative continues.
Yep, it doesn’t make sense.
The ad revenues will go down. 50% less market share means at least that much cheaper ads.
RE: #37, hate seeing the 3rd and 4th rated programs products of National Socialist Radio (NPR)
“...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.”
OK... whether or not you’re a fan of El Rushbo, you have to wonder:
Cummulus couldn’t find other advertisers to backfill spots on the most popular talk radio show in the country?
Cummulus would rather run what compared to Rush? Classic re-runs from the Air America network?
How much of Cummulus revenue is associated with the Rush Limbaugh show? Do their investors and owners think flushing that cash down the toilet is a good idea?
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