Is Rush Limbaugh running out of sponsors?

[brooklynite]

Media Matters has an interesting post about monitoring Rush Limbaugh's advertising (as heard on WABC in New York). The first commercial break consisted of:

•New York City Office of Emergency Management, and the Ad Council [Note: The Ad Council distributes public service announcements "to the media who donate free time and space to our campaigns which ensures our messages reach the American public."]
•The American Heart Association, and the Ad Council
•The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council
•Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Ad Council
•Feeding America, and the Ad Council
•Cintas

Five of the six are PSA's supplied to the station rather than the program.

The second ad block consisted of:

•Freedom Debt Relief
•Sensa Weight Loss
•U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council
• New York City Office of Emergency Management, and the Ad Council
• American Heart Association, and the Ad Council
• Save the Children, and the Ad Council

FDL and Sensa have both announced they are pulling their ads, but expect a couple of days for them to come out of rotation.

The third ad block was all station PSA's. So that's one intentional paid ad out of 17 slots.

If I recall, Rush was promising that his audience was so popular that he'd have not problem getting replacement advertisers. Trouble in the Business Office?

[EFerrari]

1. This is very interesting. Thanks for posting. n/t

[Botany]

2. This is sweet!

[matt819]

3. Ad Council

I have no problem with the Ad Council, but why should they continue to fill space on hate-fest radio. I just asked them to consider dropping even their public service items during this show.

If you agree, contact them here: http://www.adcouncil.org/About-Us/Contact-Us/Contact-Us

While there won't be dead airtime between segments, there will be effectively zero ads, and I would argue that that makes an even greater statement. And just because the airtime is free doesn't mean that they shouldn't be held to the same principle of having no affiliation with the show.

[rhett o rick]

4. I sent them a message. nm

[Recursion]

5. Ad Council can't control what programming it's run against

They buy up unused ad time at bargain basement rates for PSAs specifically to fill ad spots the station hasn't filled yet. About half (IIRC) of Rush's ad spots are run by the program; the fact that these are now being filled by ad council content means they've at least for now had to sell that time back to the station (which, in the bizarre language of broadcasting, means giving money back to the station).

[Aerows]

6. I hope so

I'm so mad at this cretin I could spit. He's got Republican men all over the place playing victim for him. It's actually kind of hilarious now that I think of it.

Oh, poor Rush. It was an accident that for three days he harangued a woman he's never met before as a slut. Oh, poor Rush.

[Puzzledtraveller]

7. Don't count on it

The people who tune into Rush, will still tune into Rush. The numbers sell the ad space, the rating sell the ad space. Rush isn't going anywhere.

[randome]

12. Afraid I agree.

I think the best effort would be spent getting RL off AFN. Levin's support for that gives us an edge.

[samsingh]

8. very interesting

[NAO]

9. maybe Planned Parenthood could buy some ad spots cheap

That would be a hoot!

***

Other fun sponsors would be:

- The ACLU (who could boast about when they helped Rush)

- People for the American Way

- Media Matters

- Freedom From Religion Foundation

- Human Rights Campaign

[warrior1]

10. those ad's

are probably like nails on a chalkboard to rush's listeners. Soon he'll be losing those people too.

They hate helping people.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Cumulus May Be A Weak Link...

Recently it was announced that Cumulus who owns WABC would be starting a daytime "talk show" with Mike Hucklenutz to compete against rushbo. Could it be they're clearing things out...no longer promoting/marketing rushbo so they can move Hucklenutz in?? Hmmm...

[bigwillq]

13. No

They'll always be someone who will support his hate.