Rush Limbaugh: $400 Million Man

The Drudge Report is reporting that the New York Times will report this weekend in Sunday's magazine that Rush Limbaugh has scored a monster contract that shatters broadcast industry records.

From Drudge:

In what is being described as an unprecedented radio contract, Limbaugh will keep his syndicated show on-the-air and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e through 2016 with CLEAR CHANNEL and PREMIERE RADIO.

Already host of the most lucrative hours since radio's inception, Limbaugh's total package is valued north of $400 million, according to media insiders.

The NEW YORK TIMES will claim this weekend that Limbaugh, marking 20 years this summer as a national host, has secured a 9-figure signing bonus for the new deal, newsroom sources tell DRUDGE.

In its controversial profile, the TIMES reports that Limbaugh is buying a new G550 jet and is making an estimated $38 million a year.

Developing...

Comments

[MemphisBuffalo]

He is a pill'er of the community!

[liberalgirl31]

In the Rush article, El Rushbo disses both Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. I was surprised by Hannity, since he looks up to the bloated one as a father figure. But from the article it looks like America's B.S. Projector is jealous that the younger man might be becoming more influential than he is.

Yes, the article glances over Rush's deafness, which was not from an auto immune disease but from his hypocritical drug use. No mention of his trip to the Dominican Republic, either. I think the girlfriend mentioned in the article is just with him for the money.

[aspen]

Rush is the "truth teller" to millions and has been very influential in getting and keeping Republicans in office. He and the rest of the 90% rightwing radio talking heads serve as unpaid ads for the GOP.

Now that is truly disgusting and unAmerican. Most people would never know that Democrats also own the airwaves, which are public property. However, over the past 20 years, Democrat access to the radio airwaves they supposedly own, has been almost non existant.

[ObiW]

Limbaugh couldn't get out of hell, too many Republicans blocking the door. So he decided to sell his soul and take the money. A deal he couldn't refuse!

And he looks very different in the newer photos since he decided to sell his soul. His eyes have turned from brown to grey-green. He looks weird without is soul . . .

[mi]

Disgusting

[Dakota 04]

Now what is disgusting is Air America.

[DRaymond]

From the last line of the Druge coverage...

"The deal represents a stunning triumph over the establishment by an outsider..."

Oh come on, Rush is an 'outsider'? He's on Karl Rove's speed-dial for sure and lunches with lobbyists and media tycoons and politicians every day of the week for sure. Any rational view would have stopped calling him an outsider a long time ago.

As for how much his deal is worth, bear in mind that there is no doubt a lot of creative accounting involved in that. The usual deal for syndicated shows is that they are in fact paid by giving a certain number of minutes per hour of commercials. In other words if a typical hour of Rush's show has twenty five minutes of commercials Rush's EIB might get twenty two of them and the radio station gets three (more typical shows would get far fewer). So the announced 'value' of the deal may well be based on the presumtion of their being able to sell every minute of those commercials at the maximum card rate, something which would in the real world happen...never. The estimates of the 'deal' could also be inflated by exaggerated estimates of how much Rush would get for endorsements.

[lastrefuge]

the.world.is.not.fair.

[Beachrunner]

Randi Rhodes is really, really angry!

[Falafel]

I just read the Rush article (it will be in Sunday's New York Times). Nothing new-just reaffirms what a phony dirtbag he is. Especially entertaining is hearing about his palace-complete with a large painting of his portly self.

But, the one key point the writer missed was around Rush's deafness-he leaves the reader with the impression that his deafness was a random unfortunate medical event. This is not true-it was a direct result of his oxycontin abuse (so, shed no tears for poor old deaf Rush.) He briefly talks about his drug days as well but alas, no mention of the famous erective dysfunction scandal.

[drakke]

Would that portrait by any chance be the painting of Dorian Gray?

[Aslanspal]

The quintessential "Ugly american" He hurts this nation by making money on division.

??? Hey Rush you popped at least one Viagra pill down their in the Dominican Republic known for its child trafficking

[rabprevent]

HERE IS HOPING THAT HE DROPS BEFORE HE SEES A PENNY

[broadsword]

I suppose $400mm isn't yet quite enough money to buy your way out of a trip to hell.

[trollsbwild]

Crime pays...

[bjmart50]

This is obscene. No one is worth that much, especially this guy. No wonder they have such big heads. Hannity, O'Reilly, etc.....Same thing. They get so full of themselves. This money comes to about 24k an hour, if you count an 8 hour day for him. Tell me, is this guy so insightful that his comments are worth 24k and hour? I THINK NOT........

[isleptwithjoeyramone]

Wow. $400 million will buy a lot of oxy-contin I bet.