Posted on 05/17/2008 1:29:30 PM PDT by shrinkermd
Last Friday Rush spent an hour of "precious broadcast time" discussing a book by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz has worked for CBS for 24 years.
CBS is self-described on their Web Site as:
"...CBS RADIO is one of the largest major-market operators in the United States with stations covering news, alternative rock, oldies, country, talk, classic rock, JACK and urban formats, among others. A division of CBS Corporation, CBS RADIO operates 140 radio stations, all but one of which are in the nation's top 50 markets. The overall mix of each radio station's programming is designed to fit the station's specific format and serve its local community.
CBS RADIO continues to make aggressive moves to converge new and traditional media through creative programming and advanced delivery methods, including online streaming, HD Radio, mobile messaging and podcasting. Audio streams of more than 140 CBS RADIO stations and custom channels are currently available online, and two thirds of the Company's stations are broadcasting in HD digital radio.
Additionally, CBS RADIO is home to 27 of the country's leading sports franchises amongst MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA and the NHL, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Chicago Bears and the Detroit Red Wings.
Further enhancing CBS RADIO's programming exposure is the Company's long-standing alliance with Westwood One, which provides stations with news, sports, weather, music, talk and entertainment programming and content, and presents an unparalleled menu of events such as the Olympic Games, NFL football, NCAA basketball, including the Men's Basketball Championship, The Masters, the U.S. Open, the Grammy Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards
On the other hand Clear Channel (CCU)who holds Rush's current contract just recently finished a tortuous and discouraging (for the shareholders)settlement. See this from the current issue of Barron's:
...THE SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION LAST week of the Clear Channel Communications leveraged buyout is a big victory for the radio and billboard operator's shareholders. They're getting a very generous price, considering the weakness in the company's core radio business. The outlook is much riskier for the buyout group, led by Bain Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners. A private Clear Channel (ticker: CCU) will carry a debt burden of perhaps $18 billion, and the company is being purchased at a premium to the valuation of such other big media companies as CBS, Time Warner and News Corp., the owner of Barron's.
Bain (Mitt Romney was a co-founder but now allegedly is inactive) and Thomas H. Lee agreed to pay $36 a share for Clear Channel, or $17.9 billion. That's below the prior deal at $39.20 a share that Clear Channel reached last summer, after shareholder opposition to the original agreement at $37.60 a share in 2006. The agreement at $36 represented a concession by Clear Channel after banks sought to pull out of the deal at $39.20 because they faced losses of $2 billion in financing that transaction. Rather than pursue lawsuits against the banks, Clear Channel was willing to recut the deal, pleasing the buyout group and reducing losses for the banks.
The URL for this is: HERE.
CCU will be in no mood to give Rush a better deal, perhaps they would even choose to give him a lesser deal while CBS may be on the prowl for a greater radio presence since they do not have a cable news channel.
Just a guess, but the deal, Rush uncharacteristically spending an hour with Jim Nantz for a new book and puffing (at least it seemed to me) both the CBS radio and sports presence all lead me to think a change may be in the wind.
That was the one hour of Rush last week that I tuned out, on purpose.
I thought it was odd, too. He rarely has a guest, much less for a full hour, much much less for a book promotion.
I think it was a poor use of broadcast time and intend to e-mail Rush. I tuned to Napolitano/Kilmead after the first segment.
Do you play golf?
Of course he is. . .sure, he’s taking over the Evening News from Katie Couric. Then we’ll finally get a rightful successor to Edward R. Murrow.
But Rush has pushed his friends' books in the past; Clarence Thomas got an hour, IIRC, and I don't think Rush was looking to clerk for him. So did Andy McCarthy.
Whatever Rush does, you can bet he will be well-compensated. Personally, I think if the Fairness Doctrine (interesting doublespeak, that) comes back, we should push to have his three hours moved to the 800 or so NPR stations.
Since Rush is THE MAJOR pull for CCU, mood or no mood they would be fools not to deal with Rush. He is a major revenue draw on the highest rated radio program.
No, I don’t play golf.
Calm down, all.
Rush has done this (agreed: on rare occasions) before. And Nantz is a close and long-time friend of Rush’s.
No biggie, here.
And no way he’d go to CBS.
You are engaging in wild speculation that makes no sense. Your post states that SeeBS has 140 stations. Rush is already on over 600 stations. Why on God’s little green earth would Rush go over to a gig with considerably less than 1/4 the number of stations he is on now??
Don’t give up your day job.
“Of course he is. . .sure, he’s taking over the Evening News from Katie Couric. Then we’ll finally get a rightful successor to Edward R. Murrow.”
I know you’re joking, but that WOULD be amazing.... and think of the ratings spike they’d get, with everyone on both sides tuning in... with the right wing hanging on his every word, and the left wing looking for anything he says they may be able to use to destroy him.
CBS doesn’t have the guts. Not in a million years.
And, yes, as I posted at the time, that was the most BORING hour of Rush I’ve ever heard in the decade or two I’ve been listening.
Are you suggesting that Rush would turn in to a left wing character assassin?
I’m not seeing it happening, first of all, Rush does have the Cochlar implants and is very self conscious about them and rarely appears on TV to give interviews.
I’ve been asking the rhetorical “What if Conservatives ran a MSM outlet, would they turn a profit?” and with CBS Rush would have the chance, I’m doubting he would do it though.
Even though Bill O’ Reily does do 3 hours on the radio, and a hour of TV, as does Hannity, but I think the cochlar implants make it unlikely to happen.
But if people recall, when Katie Couric first took over the anchor chair, she did have Majah Rushie giving editorial commentary a few times...
Why not just ask Rush?
>>Personally, I think if the Fairness Doctrine (interesting doublespeak, that) comes back, we should push to have his three hours moved to the 800 or so NPR stations.
And bring back the TV program and broadcast it on one of the old-line networks.
I’m not a golf fan, Rush is, I thought it was a fun interview and Nance at least was an engaging guest.
Nah, only that journalists are always moaning and praying to the ghost of Edward R. Murrow. He could do no wrong in their eyes, and by that regard Rush would be a ‘right’ful heir.
The greatest game,in 4 short hours you can get the gist of a person,maybe not ever play another round with that person again,or form a friendship that lasts a lifetime.
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