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.

[Eagles Talon IV]

You can buy a software program called 'MP3 Recorder' (there are a few of them that go by different names) that will allow you to record Limbaughs program to your hard drive and listen to it at your convenience. It has a feature that enables you to program what time the program launches and begins to record and then stop recording at shows end. The cost is between $25-30 and can be purchased as a download from the web.

If you are interested, freepmail me.

[TruthSetsUFree]

"Fortunately, there's room on the air and the Internet for lots of hosts. Even boring ones."

Well, as I said before, evidently 12.5 million people don't agree with your assessment of Hannity. I honestly don't understand why so many people here at FR criticize him. It seems to me that many just repeat what others are saying to "fit in" rather than truly thinking for themselves. Most of the criticisms have no truth to them and reveal that the critics don't really listen to him.

Hannity isn't #2 for nothing, and there's only a small gap between him and Rush, as compared to the larger one between Sean and the one in the #3 slot (can't remember who it is at the moment).

[OldFriend]

All media, print, TV and radio have lost audience. That picks up prior to elections and then drops off big time.

After all, it does get boring after a while and people just tune out.

[krunkygirl]

Sorry, I think mine is a legitimate criticism. I don't believe I'm going out of my way to find fault.

I actually think that someone close to him may have said something to him about this 'cause I haven't heard him use the term "cutting edge" (when referring to a story he's about to bring up) for a while now...

[pcottraux]

Pretty good. Submit it to some sites like NRO.

Click on my home page and scroll down.

[pepperhead]

Could you imagine how bad O'Reilly's show would be if he didn't have Lis & E.D. helping him out?

[Republican Wildcat]

No, it isn't legitimate because it doesn't make any sense. He reads from news stories and then opines on them and makes predictions. Obviously they've already been published before he reads them - same before the internet and same afterward.

You are indeed trying to make something up just to be negative.

[birbear]

Hannity Number 2? Hmmm. I would have exprected Laura Ingraham and Bill Bennett to come in far ahead of Hannity.

The key is to have stations in the right markets.

I don't know any Sacramento station that plays either Laura or Bennett. (If you do, let me know so I can tune in.)

But Sacramento is weird, radio wise. Don and Mike (who?) dominate over Tom Sullivan for the 1pm-4pm slot. And I think Tom is one of the best fill ins for Rush when he's away.

[BradyLS]

Actually the HOST of the Dr. Laura show needs professional help.

I won't argue with that, either!

[birbear]

The Cultural Conventional Wisdom always stated he had between 15-20 million listeners

I'm guessing the 20 million number was the peak he ever had at one time.

And there are so many different ways to get Limbaugh now, that the actual number listening to him live on the radio has probably decreased a little.


Or, perhaps, and this is just a wild guess on my part... up to 20 million people could listen to him. If you took the audience that each station he's on attracts, and added it up, maybe that comes to 20 million.

Just two thoughts.

[paulat]

(Not to mention a dite judgmental? Or maybe a touch of envy?)

It's VERY judgmental!!! No envy...I wouldn't THROW AWAY $8 MILLION DOLLARS at the slots, LOL!!!

[paulat]

Do I think he was smart to loose that much....no. However, I respect the fact he earned it. I respect his right to spend, or fritter, it as he pleases.

Then you and I must disagree. I think it's disgusting.

[Prost1]

Is Rush losing audience? I thought he once had 20mil listeners...

I guess things happen when there are more "hosts"...

Still, the number that is missing is the increase/decrease in conservative listeners...

If the number is increasing significantly, then this is more bad news the Reids/Pelosis and MSM...

[hford02]

I like Glen Beck as well.... I haven't heard him in Colorado lately (we live down south). He has the gift of rhetoric and when he's on he can make you cry. He seems a very moral and caring person and seriously funny as well. I'm loyal to Rush and love Laura Ingrham too. Hanity is OK but not in the same league as these others.

I'm certainly relieved that Randi Rhodes didn't show up on the list at all. She's a sewer mouthed liar.

[BobS]

"I thought Rush earns $65 million per year."

Rush signed a $265M contract for 10 years. It is not your average contract. It is allowed to fluctuate based on the ad sales from 610 radio markets. He put himself on the dotted line of popularity. Cap gains must be a bitch for him. So he donates a lot to charity and sponsors charity events a lot.

BTW, did you know Thursday was Ann Coulter's birthday and he went out with her and a bunch of people to celebrate it?

[hford02]

Howard Stern will break Sirius. There's no way he can pull a paid following to cover that salary. Most of Stern's audience would rather steal a radio than buy one.

[BlueNgold]

So am I missing something? I thought Hugh Hewitt was bigger than Medved...

[WalterSkinner]

I would have exprected Laura Ingraham and Bill Bennett to come in far ahead of Hannity.

Me too. Laura Ingraham is magnificent.

[blackie]

Roger that ~ Bump!

[Common Tator]

Rush's audience is about the same as it has been.

The 13.7 million people is the number of different people who listen in a week.

Talk magazine uses the number of unique listeners each week. Some one who listened to all 5 shows would be counted just once. In the 20 to 22 million figure that person would be counted 5 times.