Limbaugh crowned No. 1 in talk radio again. Hannity #2, Savage #3. Where's Franken?

UPI ^ | 12/10/2005 12:45:00 PM -0500 | UPI

[rface]

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Talkers magazine reports conservative hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are the most popular radio hosts in the United States.

More than 13.75 million people listen to Limbaugh per week while Hannity draws more then 12.5 million weekly listeners, Talkers reported.

Michael Savage is third with more than 8 million listeners a week.

There is tie for fourth place between shock jock Howard Stern -- soon due to move to Sirius Satellite Radio -- and Dr. Laura Schlessinger with more than 7.75 million weekly listeners, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

Laura Ingraham filled out the Top 5 with more than 5 million.

Talkers said it used Arbitron data and "other reliable indicators" for its semiannual rankings report.

[Hank Rearden]

Tony Snow is on right this moment on WLS, as a matter of fact; see my previous link.

[lesser_satan]

He's out there, and you have to take his ranting with a grain of salt. That being said, he's wicked funny.

[Mr Cobol]

More to the point, where are those wishy-washy delusional PC morons Medved and Hewitt?

I used to listen to both but they've both proved to not be conservatives. Hewitt does have some good guests on however. Medved spends way too much time with booksellers.

[dbostan]

I hope you are joking.
Savage is the best, being an Independent in the first place.

[eleni121]

I'm still waiting for this nimrod to get a slot on NPR ---along with the other nimrods there that our taxes support.

[Milhous]

oh oh. I hope Savage is on his medicine when he reads this.

Given the controversy surrounding Savage's red meat no holds barred persona his show exceeded my expectations. FWIW Rush seems to keep himself aloof from Savage. I, OTOH, enjoy both shows, Rush as witty conservative intellectual and Savage as an in your face conservative revolutionary. LOL.

[krunkygirl]

I love Lee! He is unheralded but great, IMHO!

[AmishDude]

I think these numbers are only a step up from "wild guess". I don't like Imus, but how does he do worse than Doug Stephan? Komando and Brinker only do well because every station in the country runs them during their dead weekend timeslots. Even then, I can't imagine people actually listen.

If you're looking for popularity, consider also the premium member phenomenon. Those numbers will never be comparable because they aren't based on ratings and people will misreport those numbers if they're forced to. It doesn't matter to advertisers how many Rush 24/7 members there are, but it matters vis-a-vis popularity.

BTW, Talkers mag (you can google) was started by a guy named Michael Harrison. The archived articles on the website are interesting. Two articles by Ellen Ratner, an interview with Alan Colmes, two interviews of Art Bell. It's now owned by Focus Communications from Connecticut. The CEO is Carole Marks. I have no idea who these people are, maybe somebody else does. I have no doubt that they are underestimating Limbaugh's audience, though.

[devane617]

Hmmm...I understand Rush, Vanity, and Savage, but some on this list just baffle me...Taken with a grain of salt.

[bmwcyle]

You need to look at the FL case again. Hannity got his facts wrong on this one case. The people he interviewed lied on TV.

[river rat]

"Where's Franken?"

At the rear, as an ass wipe is destined.

Semper Fi

[indcons]

LOL.....well said. Couldn't have put it any better myself.

[lesser_satan]

How has Medved proven himself not to be a conservative?

[ElkGroveDan]

Where's O'Reilly? He's as big a jerk on radio as on TV.

He's a bigger jerk on radio -- "You people need to understand one thing....."

[Rastus]

Al Franken is the living embodiment of Rush's "The Tom Daschle Show" parody.

"Let's . . . let's go to a commercial. Oh, that's right. We don't have any sponsors."

[petercooper]

Hannity is the USA Today of conservative talk radio.

[upchuck]

More importantly, where is Mark Levin?!

Unfortunately, AFAIK, Mark is not nationally syndicated like Rush, etc. I believe he's heard on two stations: WABC in NYC and WBAP in Dallas.

Mark needs to go nationwide.

[Publius6961]

Sorry to see Hugh Hewitt isn't on the list...another reasonable, educated and bright guy - out of the Reagan administration. Excellent interviews.

I'm not sorry, nor am I surprised.
He tries so hard to be PC that he falls all over himself. He cannot accept black and white, even when painfully obvious.
The man's a fawning idiot!

[Belasarius]

I listen to what ever is in my market here in central Penn. That's Rush, Sean, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage.

I don't get excited about Sean or Michael.

Sean is a nice guy, not real bright or insightful, overuses the word "unbelievable." He gets some decent guests now and then.

Savage is mental.

What I'd like is Laura Ingraham and Howie Carr. I'm glad Laura is doing well. You used to see her as a guest on the news and talk shows a lot more. I haven't seen her in a year. Has she been banned? It's hard to reconcile that with a #5 finish in talk radio?

[AmishDude]

I wondered about that, too, but he's syndicated by Salem and they have a tighter control over his stations. I don't think Medved is on very many stations.