Posted on 08/22/2013 7:53:13 PM PDT by iowamark
Industry sources very close to the negotiations confirmed to Radio Ink late last night that Rush Limbaugh will not be leaving Cumulus stations when his contract is up at the end of this year. The one exception will be in New York City where Limbaugh will switch from WABC to Clear Channel's WOR-AM. A deal between Cumulus and Limbaugh, who is syndicated by Clear Channel owned Premiere Radio Networks, was struck when Premiere agreed to unbundle Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, according to sources.
This negotiation became very public with Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey making statements that the talk format was not producing the revenue he believed they should, even labeling them "code red." At times, Limbaugh was caught in the cross-hairs of those statements over his highly publicized statements about Sandra Fluk, which Cumulus said cost them revenue. Limbaugh was even forced to mention the negotiations on his program several weeks ago. But business is business and Rush Limbaugh, who recently celebrated 25 years on the air, is still the number one Talk Radio Host in the world. It would have been very difficult for Cumulus to overcome the loss of both Sean Hannity (see next story) and Rush Limbaugh.
In 2014 Cumulus will try to drive revenue with Michael Savage in Hannity's slot. Hannity was just too expensive for Cumulus, according to sources, and when Premiere finally agreed to negotiate Hannity and Rush separately, Cumulus saw that as an opportunity to move Savage in. Cumulus syndicates Savage, who can be very hard-core to the right of most other syndicated talkers. How will advertisers accept Savage? Cumulus has most likely calculated that it can generate more profit from a show it distributes itself compared to paying a price it considered too high for the number two talker, Sean Hannity.
Changes to the talk radio landscape in America will start to unfold in 2014. Contracts for both Hannity and Limbaugh expire at the end of this year.
So Limbaugh goes to WOR from ABC?
That’s earth shaking in the NYC market.
Sonny: You’re taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very, very personal.
I very rarely listen to him on WABC except in my car when I get out of range of WKIP in Poughkeepsie N.Y. I’ll just tune into WOR.
Slightly off topic, but has anyone heard what’s to become of Hannity on FNC now that Meh-gyn has taken his timeslot?
Did someone at Cumulus have a brief moment of mental clarity when it came to ratings = ad spot prices??
With Hannity and Rush off WABC, I hope they give the terrific Aaron Klein a shot at their former slots.
...my money's on the fabulous Harry Bosnosovitch to replace Rush Who can top him?
Considering that that Commie idiot Dickey blamed Rush for the company’s revenue problems and Rush called Cumulus a terrible company, why would either of them want to re-up?
With Cumulus apparently giving Sean Hannity’s spot to Michael Savage, one wonders who gets Savage’s spot. do they move John Batchelor back there? Who or what goes in the overnights then?
The day of Rush imitators is hopefully over. And for the past decade, Rush is a Rush imitator.
The future is local hosts. The national, GOP talking points marathon is dead.
I expect Savage to burn out more quickly than anyone expects, given the earlier workday and a demand for a consistent 3 live hours 5 days a week.
I don't think that Cumulus will put up with a fake 3rd hour every day, when they used to get Hannity live for the duration.
-PJ
WOR?
Joan Hamburg will have a hissy fit ;)
It’s unfortunate for us North East regional listeners (or, at least where they are pointing it I get WABC better) I have it set on my car dial and I’m over 100 miles away.[daytime]
Rush ping...
I hope he laid down some laws.
Cumulus seems very lame to me.
They are most lame indeed. I bet they were planning to axe Limbaugh too until it dawned on them that ratings would help them charge advertisers more.
Hey Lew Dickey!
Go to Norteno music if you wish and dump Rush.
Good luck.
Same here. On good days (in certain cars), we can get WABC and WCBS out of NYC all the way up to Springfield, Massachusetts.
WOR? I'm not sure it reaches much into central Connecticut at all. It definitely doesn't reach the northern part of the state where I live.
Who cares? Hannity is unbearable.
Rush is the Consummate Radio Professional.
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