Why Rush Limbaugh's Radio Network May Want Him Off The Air

Business Insider ^ | 05/09/2013 | Jim Edwards

[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:

[MNlurker]

Pipe dream especially since there’s grumbling that the Huckster is getting out of the radio biz...

[ilgipper]

Uh, yeah. They have more ad time to see for shows that have virtually zero audience. I hope Rush cuts ties with these losers.

[BreezyDog]

Huckabee? Good luck with that scenario...

[Biggirl]

But another radio station and company may GAIN bigtime should Rush leave.

[ilgipper]

see = sell in the above post

Uh, yeah. They have more ad time to seel for shows that have virtually zero audience. I hope Rush cuts ties with these losers.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

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. Good luck with that.

[Biggirl]

Huck is done.

[massgopguy]

Oh no, that will only leave him on 560 stations!

[jps098]

Huck would be amazing if he could keep 15% of Rush’s audience.

[GraceG]

I would say the Blaze could hire him, but I don’t trust Rush not to stay squishy even if the pressure for him to be squishy is removed...

[from occupied ga]

Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush's audience

I find that kind of hard to believe.

[Gaffer]

Cumulus Media may be letting this nonsense go on, especially since they are apparently coming up on a contract renegotiation and this hypothesized liberal media wet dream story might put Limbaugh in a worse negotiating position.

CM does this at their peril. They piss off Rush too much with this and he’ll find another deal to minister to his 20 million listeners.

He has the notariety, the money and the drive to say “eff it” and go his merry way without them.

[SeekAndFind]

If Mike Huckabee holds 50% of Rush’ audience, that would mean a listener size of at least 10 MILLION !!

[2001convSVT]

Maybe Rush could start his own network like Glenn Beck did.

[Gaffer]

I don’t even believe this for a New York minute...hell even a second! I honestly don’t believe I’ve EVER even listened to, passed by, channel surfed by the Huckster since he went commercial after his minimal showing in 2008.....that thought is ludicrous.

[2001convSVT]

Well said ilgipper, well said!

“Cumulus would regain control of a huge chunk of its on-air ad inventory, time that currently belongs to Limbaugh”

And have virtually zero audience to sell ads to, LOL!

[dfwgator]

Cumulus' total sales dollars would actually go up as long as the replacement show — Mike Huckabee — held at least 50% of Rush's audience.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, yeah right..........Huckabee could put an insomniac to sleep.

[CodeToad]

They assume they get to keep those advertisers and they won’t follow Rush to his new network.

[buckalfa]

Rush Limbaugh is on the air waves for only one reason, to make money for himself, his sponsors, and broadcasters. If his ratings are stagnant or even slip, he will lose media outlets.

I love listening to Rush but I honestly cannot remember him making any original contribution to conservative thought or policy. He simply preaches to and rouses the conservative to begin with crowd over current events. After 23 years of tuning him in, his act is getting stale. Maybe he does need some time off to re-energrize himself or to think of better ways to spread the conservative gospel.