Rush Limbaugh’s two new contract extensions, with Premiere in August and 33 Cumulus stations this week, are proof the talk radio format is alive and well despite the grumblings of many who believe the format only speaks to a demo three steps from the grave. Critics have said talk radio has become nothing more than a consistent barrage of insults aimed at any Democratic President. Over the past 18 months talk radio was much more than that.
The political climate, which shows no signs of changing anytime soon, and the clear disdain many Americans have for the media, feeds right into the hands of talk radio hosts. Throw in the fact that many conservative hosts disagreed on who should be the next President, and the most listened to talk show host Rush Limbaugh refusing to endorse any candidate, including the most conservative, and you had appointment listening on a daily basis. It’s hard to see that changing much as Rush, and others like Sean Hannity, continue to throw verbal grenades at the mainstream media, accusing them of being the mouthpiece for the Democratic party and daily attacks on Donald Trump.
On his show, several times over the last year, Limbaugh touted how his listening numbers were experiencing the kind of growth he hadn’t seen since his early days on the radio. Yesterday, when the Cumulus deal (see next story) was announced, Premiere showed the proof. The syndication arm of iHeartMedia said that Rush’s show experienced combined audience growth of +49 % with persons 12+ and +23% with adults 25- 54.
Critics will of course argue that the numbers may have been low to begin with. What else can they say? However, with President-elect Trump (who Rush calls a friend) as the topic of the day, e-mail leaks, the FBI, and an ugly and fierce political battle to become the leader of the free world, the growth in Rush’s numbers make sense.
Premiere says nationwide, Rush experienced significant year-over-year audience growth in 2016 with persons 12+ (+21%), adults 25-54 (+13%), adults 18-34 (+12%) and women 25-54 (+17%). (Sources: Nielsen Audio, JAN-NOV Avg 2016 vs 2015, PPM Exact Times, AQH – Combined AQH; Nielsen Audio, JAN-NOV Avg 2016 vs 2015, PPM, Exact Times, AQH).
Rush has been entertaining millions of listeners for 28 years on about 600 radio stations across America. He’s been a success in the talk format for nearly three decades. And he’s overcome several high-profile controversies. There have been stories written about how his last contract was not as lucrative as previous contracts. If true, couldn’t that be said for most professions as you approach senior citizen status? Rush is probably laughing all the way to the bank. He’s been backing up the Brinks truck to his West Palm Beach mansion for many, many years.
There have been Democratic Presidents and Republican Presidents in office. Liberal hosts have tried many times to offset his content, which they could never understand was entertaining as well as informative. Media Matters seems to be constantly trying to find ways to get him off the air or harass advertisers. Yet in May, Politico called Rush “as influential as ever.” And in August, after signing Rush to a new 4-year deal, iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman told CNNMoney that Limbaugh is “bigger than ever” and “doing really well.”
Been a FAN for years,,,heard about Rush thru my friend Bo Diddley.
Been a Fan for years. Accidently found him thru my friend Bo Diddley years ago.
I don’t know which is worse. The story or the comments. First, the story… Use his last name not his first, so you can at least pretend you are practicing unbiased journalism than leading a cheer; talk radio is a barrage of insults against just about anyone who isn’t a far-right nut, or desperately disenfranchised — I don’t think you can pin those things solely on the Democrats, scum that they are; this publication should be addressing the public’s “disdain for the media” — for chrissakes do your research first; this business about throwing “verbal grenades at the mainstream media” — where have you been living? Limbaugh and Hannity are PART of the mainstream media (research “alternative media” and “independent media”); it’s all about numbers and dollars isn’t it? (“Duh, that’s what pays the bills”). Too bad that radio is formulaic, corporate-run crap now. And the big guns have more debt than a Third World country. Great business. Bunch of geniuses; he’s racking up listeners, blah blah blah. When there’s no sensible alternative, and there are millions out there who still WON’T listen to radio, I’m not sure being the biggest swine at the trough is anything to brag about; your tribute piece then lauds his ability to weather controversies. Use the correct words. Try slander, insults, petulance, simpleton, coward… words along those lines; and you’re really telling the doubters aren’t you! He’s backing his Brinks truck up to his mansion. If this is how you measure a man, you are a very sad individual. The piece of garbage should try backing it up to the homes of the one in five kids who go to bed hungry every night in this country. Just THINK about that for a second, and consider if your adulation might be misplaced; “liberal hosts” are people who aren’t quite as far to the right as these other nut jobs you’re talking about. Did you know that NPR screens guests for anything too non-conformist a guest might say and amends their talking points accordingly? That’s your most liberal radio outlet? With their corporate backing? Radio is conservative all the way. Just the way both Republicans and Democrats are conservatives feeding from the same trough. Read books. It will make your mind strong; the fact that Limbaugh is “as influential as ever” is something to be concerned about, not in admiration of. Just as we should not be proud that we are the world’s joke for electing a peanut over a criminal recently. We’re virtually saying to the world, “Look at the two mental cases we’re putting up for president. Bet you can’t go lower than us!”; We are going down the drain, my friend, and it’s time commentators like you put away the superlatives and stopped talking nonsense. A little reality would be refreshing.
To the commenters: Sy — no matter that he degrades media by calling a woman a slut over the air — it was a good lesson in durability in selling advertising, right? But then, he wasn’t talking about your sister or mother, was he? What kind of man does that? Imagine how that woman felt? He should have been barred from media work for life for many of the things he’s said over the years, but no, it’s all fair and okay, because garbage like Limbaugh and his ilk have lowered standards to the gutter and that’s the status quo we are happy to accept.
Robert Jones: Please, get out of the house. Follow the bread crumbs. Do something but join us all back in reality, pronto. The most intuitive person in the media… maybe the world? What kind of drugs are you taking in massive excess? He’s a dimwit who makes up “facts.” He’s a moron. Fact-check him. Think critically for chrissakes. Go to a college campus and listen to some professors or follow a guided tour at a museum — go anywhere you might find intelligent people and LISTEN. If Limbaugh debated an intelligent, well-read person who disagreed with him, without cutting them off, he would be embarrassed mightily. It’s a show. He gets to win. And he is not a maverick. Mavericks are people who take risks. Limbaugh just flogs the same horse over and over again. If he wants to be a maverick he’ll get on the air today and admit how wrong and disrespectful he’s been to us all. How he’s insulted our intelligence and made hate and negativity the norms of public “discourse.” But that would take guts. Maverick guts. As for the Reagan thing, I studied Reagan for years. He was a criminal who knew nothing about economics, and took naps during the day. He was a reactionary mongrel going way back to his days in California. But yes, he and Limbaugh do, therefore, have a lot in common. Except Reagan was responsible for way more deaths.
Limbaugh is an uneducated buffoon who has made money by appealing to people who feel disenfranchised and they mistakenly think he is their voice (try knocking on his door, folks, and see how happy he is to meet you). This is the same thing Trump did. They appeal to genuine anger with lies and vitriol and a very sordid version of patriotism.
Gentlemen, grow up. Don’t follow the herd. Think for yourselves. You don’t have to be in a Democrat box or a Republican box. And you can constructively criticize radio until the cows come home, have dinner and go to bed. That’s what the industry, the country, and the world need now: critical thinking, honesty and courage. You will never find these things in a Rush Limbaugh.
The smartest , intuitive person in media..and maybe the world….not even close….His research and predictions are impeccable as far as the results. Other than themselves he may be the real reason that the Clintons and the Liberal democratic party may now be hopefully null and void forever.He is a true maverick and perhaps the greatest spokesperson for America since Reagan….He is the tip of the sword for hopefully saving this country in this election!!!!
Thank you Rush……………..
” the Liberal democratic party may now be hopefully null and void forever.”
Forever??
Is this your first election cycle?
Good point Sy, thank you.
One important element of Limbaugh’s success is rarely reported. A few years back, when he got into trouble for calling the college girl who wanted government-paid birth control pills a “slut”, and lost a lot of advertisers, his sales team figured out a way to get non-traditional advertisers on as paying customers to weather the storm. Media Matters was harrassing all Limbaugh advertisers relentlessly. That’s past now and Rush has a lot of regular clients back. A good lesson for all sales staffs on coming up with new ideas to fend off a crisis.