Struggling Clear Channel And Rush Limbaugh's $400 Million Payday

[SunsetDreams]

There was something very telling, and even morose, about the commercial break Rush Limbaugh took deep into his third hour of broadcasting on Tuesday's show. Still at the center of an advertising firestorm that rages around his program as corporate America turns its back on the AM talker in the wake of his ugly, invasive, three-day smear campaign against Sandra Fluke, Limbaugh boasted he had thwarted the left-wing attack and they were the ones "shell shocked" at the turn of events.

But the truth was that for days on his flagship station, WABC in New York, Limbaugh's show had been stripped of key advertisers. Instead, the once robust revenue-generating program had turned into a feel-good forum where during commercial breaks WABC ran nonpaid public service announcements on behalf of the United Negro College Fund and New York Office of Emergency Management. That's because WABC didn't feel comfortable putting lots of advertisers on Limbaugh's show, which up and down Madison Avenue had become poisonous in this wake of his misogynistic Fluke debacle.

So towards the end of his show on Tuesday, the nine-figure salary talk show host went to commercial break and a paid advertiser did pop up. And it was a new advertiser, a sponsor who apparently had signed on amidst the controversy. The sponsor's name? The Holy Name Cemetery in New Jersey, which was advertising a "pre-planning open house weekend."

How fitting.

Whether Limbaugh's show is in the midst of the death throes, only time will tell. But one thing is clear, the radio industry has never seen anything like the sponsorship controversy surrounding Limbaugh's once-untouchable program. And it's certainly never seen anything like the wholesale decision by his syndicator, Premier Radio Networks, to suspend barter ads for two weeks in an apparent effort to ride out the controversy. That was soon followed by news that advertisers are requesting Limbaugh's affiliated stations provide "Rush-free programming grids" so sponsors can verify that their brands aren't appearing on his show.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201203160002

Seriously? Nine-figure salary?


Rush Suggests GOP Is Not Anti-Woman Because Republicans "Take Women To Dinner. They Buy Women Diamonds"
From the March 15 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show

Rush Limbaugh joins Twitter, posts two tweets

"Everybody has been asking me what they can do to help in all of this, and I've been saying, nah, just do what you've been doing just, if you listen, keep listening, that's fine, but there's an army out there that wants to be mobilized, and so, I figured, use Twitter for it. I'm just going to put some things on Twitter that you can help us circulate. It's that simple you just retweet them!"

[JohnnyRingo]

1. Limbaugh can give it up and join the 21st century

When Bill Maher found himself at odds with network execs, he discovered a home on HBO. Howard Stern found freedom for his brand of toxic humor on Sirius radio. Maybe it's time to find out if Dittoheads will actually pay cash to hear the crap Limbaugh is shovelling.

I suspect that if those media venues thought they could make money off his fat ass, he'd already have an acceptable offer.

[shcrane71]

6. Telling that Maher and Stern are more left-leaning.

No one cares that the right has monopolized and captured the AM spectrum. I've always thought the capture of the AM airwaves by the right-wing was an "there-oughta-be-a-law" moment. Then I realized that markets where competition did not exist, were places that no one thought could be of any consequence: rural, desolate places. Now, women have a hard time getting birth control (happened to several of my friends), and American women will enjoy state-sponsored rape prior to abortions.

[Walk away]

2. I hope Clear Channel has to keep him on for a year like this.

Like a fish on a hook at the end of his last struggle. Struggling to breath and still spewing hate while he flops around. That's exactly what he and the entire republican party deserve. I would love to see the death of everything greedy, sexist, racist and unfeeling to the sick and needy as it's broadcast to the nation.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. I would like to see him go away before the election campaigns heat up

since he helps fire up the (R) base.

Removing him might help depress them, assuming it happens early enough that their fury at the removal has time to quell.

[Walk away]

9. Okay...if you insist! nt

[KharmaTrain]

15. He Helps Fire Up Our Base, Too...

In 2006 his rampage against Michael J. Fox just before the election was a major factor in Sen. Claire McCaskill's win. Let him keep offending and reminding women why they should never vote for another rushpublican. He sure didn't hurt us in '08 and he won't hurt this year...only help. I say let him keep spewing and maybe a big enough Democratic victory will lead him to his long overdue meltdown...

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Nine figure salary?????

Had no idea Clear Channel made that much.
wonder if he pays his taxes?

[TalkingDog]

7. Clear Channel OWNS radio.

Over 1200 stations. In some cases they have owned up to 7 stations in one market; effectively becoming the ONLY voice that people hear.

http://www.thinkandask.com/news/mediagiants.html : Clear Channel leads in radio broadcast station ownership with 1,207 stations reaching 201 out of 287 markets in the United States.

They have been called out by free speech advocates for firing a number of "hosts" for "indecent" language. One wonders how Rush has kept his job all these years? $$$ perhaps? They were the ones who quit playing the Dixie Chicks after they were critical of Bush. They also refused advertising from Cindy Sheehan.

And they are the owners of Premiere Radio Networks.The people who hire out actors to call in to talk radio shows and pose as listeners so that people like Rush will have a supporter in their talking points.

They pay their "cyber-jocks" (who aren't actually in the station, but pump out programming for a number of stations) by the hour. Part time.

They have been a scourge on local radio and I hope the Rush debacle breaks them.

Clear Channel is privately held by Bain Capital of Mittens fame.

[Erose999]

4. Rushbo is playing with his little tweeter. I guess we can call his twitter fans "Twittoheads"....

personally I think Rush should stop with all the circling of the drain and just go straight to Stormfront and Free Republic, the very lunatic fringes of society where his brand of hate is tolerated. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.

And if we keep the pressure up thats exactly what will happen. He's been using the people's airwaves to dispense hate for far too long. Fuck Rush and all of his fans.

[Iggo]

8. Or just twits.

[Initech]

10. Could it be that these companies are struggling because of these insane 9 figure salaries?

Has anyone ever made that connection before? $400 million for anyone in this bullshit economy is obscene. End of story.

[Julian Englis]

11. His ratings have been falling

The good news is that his ratings have been falling over the last few years. His demographics are not great either--aging white people, often with lower education levels. This is part of the reason that advertisers are ready to join the boycott of him.

[Scurrilous]

12. K & R

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Oh Rush enjoy retirement

And that commercial is perfect for the audience you attract, old white angry poor men.

[gratuitous]

14. Premiere Networks is betting you'll lose interest

They've basically told their subscriber stations that for the rest of this week and next week, they can put any ads they want to on that vile human being's show, free gratis. Part of how Premiere and Clear Channel make their money is from the national ads they place on their syndicated programs. Local stations make their money putting on local ads. Despite what that vile human being said earlier this week, the national sponsors have been staying away from his toxic show in droves.

Premiere Networks isn't teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but their corporate coffers aren't bottomless, either. They're betting that this kerfuffle will blow over by the end of the month, and they'll be making coin on the vile human being's blather again by April.

I'd bet they're wrong.