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Is Rush Limbaugh in Trouble?
Politico Magazine ^ | May 24, 2016 | Ethan Epstein

Posted on 05/30/2016 12:46:50 PM PDT by EveningStar

Earlier this year, as that unmistakable bass line of the Pretenders’ My City Was Gone faded into the background, Rush Limbaugh opened his daily three-hour broadcast with characteristic bombast. “[According to the] latest research data,” he intoned, “the audience is expanding at near geometric proportions, as people seek guidance, answers, explanations, information, and an answer to the basic question, ‘What the hell is happening out there?’" ...

And yet, there are signs that all is not well in the Limbaugh radio empire. Because even as his influence is sky high and his dominance at the top of talk radio remains unchallenged, as a business proposition, Limbaugh’s show is on shaky ground. In recent years, Limbaugh has been dropped by several of his long-time affiliates, including some very powerful ones: He’s gone from WABC in New York, WRKO in Boston and KFI in Los Angeles, for example, and has in many cases been moved onto smaller stations with much weaker signals that cover smaller areas.

Why? Because four years after Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” on air, spurring a major boycott movement, reams of advertisers still won’t touch him. He suffers from what talk radio consultant Holland Cooke calls a “scarlet letter among national brand advertisers.” And for someone who has said that “confiscatory ad rates” are a key pillar of his business, that spells trouble. (Limbaugh ignored multiple interview requests.)

Limbaugh’s extremely lucrative eight-year contract—estimated to be worth roughly $38 million a year—is up this summer ...

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; articleonrush; concerntroll; demagogicparty; election2016; ethanepstein; limbaugh; memebuilding; newyork; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; politico; rush; rusharticle; rushlimbaugh; sandrafluke; sluts; slutshaming; talkradio; trump
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To: EveningStar

Rush called Fluke a slut. Hmmm, I may start listening to him again...


21 posted on 05/30/2016 1:03:58 PM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: mosaicwolf

Remember, Rush never called that slut a slut. He posed it as a question: “What does that make her? A slut?”

Liberals who are SO MUCH better educated, SO MUCH smarter, can’t see the difference.


22 posted on 05/30/2016 1:04:32 PM PDT by Big Giant Head
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To: Big Giant Head

He’s in trouble with me and for me that’s enough.


23 posted on 05/30/2016 1:05:05 PM PDT by Williams (Dear God please save us from the democrats. And the republicans.)
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To: EveningStar

I canceled after 6 years, right after his full throated support of the GOPe. Just another paid liar stealing other people’s money.


24 posted on 05/30/2016 1:05:17 PM PDT by Souled_Out (Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people.)
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To: mosaicwolf
Why? Because four years after Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” on air

Wait. What was the problem? Sandra Fluke (rhymes with "duck") was a slut.

25 posted on 05/30/2016 1:05:54 PM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: EveningStar

fluke has nothing to do with rush’s problems. Listeners don’t quit because advertisers quit, they quit because they don’t like the show. And if the audience is large enough, there will be advertisers.


26 posted on 05/30/2016 1:05:54 PM PDT by 867V309 (It's over. It's over now.)
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To: EveningStar
For several years I've had something of a problem with Rush because he strikes me as a "James Watt Republican."

More recently, he blew his credibility by making up complete crap about what was going to be in the Net Neutrality document. After it was released, he dropped the matter like an enraged porcupine and never mentioned it again. From this point I stopped taking him seriously, and regarded information from his show as suspect until confirmed by other sources.

Most recently, I stopped listening to him completely after the Cruz/Trump/Chicago affair that he neglected to even mention, even though it had other conservatives washing their hands of Cruz en masse.

27 posted on 05/30/2016 1:06:02 PM PDT by snarkpup (I want a government small enough that my main concern in life doesn't need to be who's running it.)
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To: EveningStar
Why? Because four years after Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” on air, spurring a major boycott movement, reams of advertisers still won’t touch him.

Phony outrage over a phony controversy.

a twitterbot campaign to attack Rush Limbaugh's attack on an anti-Catholic agitator who tried to challenge a school and the church on the issue of birth control.

She played the poor little victim, unable to afford birf control yet the numbers as discussed by Rush didn't pan out. Condoms were cheap and what's more, she took an expensive vacation with her mam-slut afterwards. Someone between them can afford "the pill".

It has still never been confirmed or refuted that sh may have participated in Georgetown's "slutwalk" a year before this kerfuffle. why aren't "slutalks" grounds for boycotts and protests?

28 posted on 05/30/2016 1:06:13 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Obama is more supportive of Iran's right to defend its territorial borders than he is of the USA's.)
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To: Williams

I can take 10 or so minutes before I return to the Libertarian radio show.


29 posted on 05/30/2016 1:06:25 PM PDT by Big Giant Head
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To: al baby
That old windbag has never, NEVER been wrong in his prognostications. Unless you can post some relevant mistakes?
30 posted on 05/30/2016 1:06:52 PM PDT by Safetgiver (Islam makes barbarism look genteel.)
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To: EveningStar
When Rush came on the in scene in the late 1980’s he really was a breath of fresh air, for conservatives there had never been anything like him before, a national conservative advocate which was also entertaining. Before that our only choices where conservative magazines or “dry” conservative intellectual shows late night on PBS. The problem is that time and technology has passed Rush by, conservatives now have endless options (websites, podcasts, blogs etc.)for conservative thought and discussion. Rush is now just “that old guy your grandma listen’s to on AM radio”.
31 posted on 05/30/2016 1:08:08 PM PDT by apillar
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To: EveningStar

If I were Rush, I’d be worried too...at only $38 million per year for the last eight years.

Rush could tell the world’s listening audience, the article’s author AND Sandra Fluke to stick it where the Florida sun don’t shine...and never have another concern the rest of his life.


32 posted on 05/30/2016 1:08:38 PM PDT by moovova
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To: EveningStar

He’s pregnant?


33 posted on 05/30/2016 1:09:09 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to irritate someone, point out something obvious they are trying hard to ignore.)
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To: Busko
Why is it always the conservative radio hosts? Why is there no report on the leftist media falling apart?

Because the media are left-wingers and have no wish to harm their fellow travelers. They manufacture stories to fit their agendas. All you have to do is say, "Is Rush [or fill in the blank with any other conservative] in trouble?" That's it. Impression created, speculation started, job done.

I know that was a rhetorical question, but I had to answer it anyway! And I agree with you--Rush is going to be around for a long time. As long as he wants.


34 posted on 05/30/2016 1:12:35 PM PDT by Cinnamontea
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To: EveningStar

Didn’t read it all, because it’s a rehash of the same wishful thinking about Rush’s demise that leftists have been spewing constantly for years. They’re still using his single comment about Sandra Fluke to trash him. How long ago was that? The sad part is that some so-called conservatives also wish Rush ill.


35 posted on 05/30/2016 1:12:53 PM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: al baby

ROFL!


36 posted on 05/30/2016 1:13:40 PM PDT by EveningStar
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To: Red Badger

Hannity has been good to Trump... One of the most decent... Along with Laura Ingraham


37 posted on 05/30/2016 1:14:24 PM PDT by BigEdLB (Take it Easy, Chuck. I'm Not Taking it Back -- Donald Trump)
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To: anoldafvet

Maybe he is losing listeners because for the last three months he has been pimping Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and he has been unlistenable.

...

That and outside the studio he is a CINO. Years and years ago Rush always reminded people that he was just an entertainer. He’s been a very good one, but I think he hasn’t done much for Conservatives when it’s all added up. Reaganism was purged out of Washington under his watch.


38 posted on 05/30/2016 1:14:42 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: Safetgiver; al baby

Safetgiver, al baby is joking. LOL.


39 posted on 05/30/2016 1:16:13 PM PDT by EveningStar
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To: EveningStar

I was a listener since 1990, quit after he went full-throated on Rubio.
I suspect he lost quite a few with that.
One cannot be serious about the danger of illegal aliens and amnesty and also support Rubio.
I may tune in again from time to time now that the primary is over.
His credibility has suffered.


40 posted on 05/30/2016 1:16:28 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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