Ever wonder why Rush "Boss" Limbaugh's syndicated radio show is all over the place like the proverbial cheap suit?
If you do much driving in rural areas -- e.g. between cities -- "Boss" Limbaugh's bloviations are often the only thing you can pick up on a car radio. Hey, that's what CD players are for.
Did Rush accrue hundreds of local radio affiliates across the country because his political views are mainstream? That's obviously not it. OK, so why IS his show so "popular?" Why do hundreds of stations around the country carry his show, the most widely syndicated talkfest in the country?
Glad you asked.
The real story is not generally well-known. The only reason I know is through my covering the business of radio for years for several major daily newspapers and also, for industry trade magazines like Radio World.
It's because -- ready for this? -- Rush's show was, and presumably still is, given away for free to many local radio stations.
This shocker is because of a little-known practice in broadcast syndication called a "barter deal." (Barter deals were briefly mentioned in Michael Wolff's first-rate recent piece on Rush in Vanity Fair).
Here's how a barter deal works: To launch the show, Limbaugh's syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks -- the same folks who syndicate wingnut du jour Glen Beck -- gave Limbaugh's three hours away -- that's right, no cash -- to local radio stations, mostly in medium and smaller markets, back in the early 1990's.
So, a local talk station got Rush's show for zilch. In exchange, Premiere took for itself much of the local station's available advertising time (roughly 15 minutes an hour) and packed the show with national ads it had already pre-sold.
Think Gold Bond Medicated Powder.
It's a very sweet deal for local radio station owners, explained Bill Exline a respected radio broker (he helped people buy and sell local stations). "Not only does the local station get three hours of free programming," Exline explained, "but that's one less local talk-show host on staff they need. It makes small- and medium-market radio properties more profitable and attractive by cutting down staff expenses."
Shocking, isn't it, that Limbaugh would allow jobs to be cut to advance his dubious career? Not to mention helping to make small radio stations far less local?
Major-market right-wing talk stations, like San Francisco's KSFO-AM ("Reichstag Radio") have to pay actual money, of course, to carry Boss Limbaugh's daily proclamation-a-thon. (Note: KSFO, which I referred to as "Sieg Heil on Your Dial" in my column when it first switched to righty talk, is the same station that gave hatemonger Michael Savage his first radio megaphone).
Radio sources say that small- and medium-market stations still get Limbaugh's show for free, or pay only a token amount of cash for it. I asked Michael Harrison, editor of radio-syndicator-friendly Talkers magazine about this, and he claimed he didn't know how many Limbaugh affiliates still barter. .
So, when you hear Rush bellowing as you're passing through Birdseed Junction, Beanblossom, or Pyrite, just remember: The radio station's getting what it paid for. Or, more accurately, DIDN'T pay for.
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No one would take their show even if they gave it away fro free?
Rofl
You statists are such envious little failures
I wonder if you will be honest enough to recognize that MSNBC's parent company GE is going bankrupt except for a life line of taxpayers funds the Obama regime is going to force us tax serfs to give it.for "green jobs"
And MSNBC calls tax protesters racists
Looks like fascism and paid propaganda to me
who would want to watch that crap if they could choose?
No, he doesn't. He holds no principled position, contradict
Could the real reason for Limbaugh's success be that his product is in demand, unlike the broadcast garbage Air America produced? Air America, as in the Liberal radio network that illegally diverted funds from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club to underwrite its losing operations
Limbaugh markets his product using a loss leader approach, no different than many retailers. Liberal talk radio seems to prefer to steal taxpayer funds that were appropriat
I find it quite funny how the critics of the article come in here defending Boss "I Need A Rush" Limbaugh with their false arguments about his popularity
Now we know the tactics used to get stuff out there so they can say things like "Well he's the top rated, most popular talk show host ever." And now Glen Beck's up next for the same treatment.
Aren't those guys awesome?
1. Sliming into small and medium radio markets "for free" makes Rush the Wal-Mart of hate radio.
2. Handing out free samples until the weak willed are "hooked" sounds like, um, drug-deali
I knew it!
I was aware that Rush's show was heavily leveraged during the 1980s and 1990s, but I did not realize this practice was still being done today. The reality is billionair
Here's a clue, since you dittoheads have severe allergies to factual info. This kind of practice has since been outlawed by the FCC. This is in it's essence "rigging the media" kinda, like you guys like to rig elections. Rush was little more than a "free sample" like cheap candy at a grocery story, and as typical nuts will do you righties kept coming back to stuff your gullet full of free samples. Hatespeak, insults, grade-scho
For a market to be considered "free" all customers must have absolutely free, open access to all informatio
In terms even a neo-conser
The medication actually makes them shake... When people with Parkinson'
My father had it and should know.
So you are WRONG and showing more right wing ignorance on everything and on anyone that does not fit within you shrinking frustrated fact challenged demographi
Each 1/2 hr you purchase for your show depending on your negotiated contract you can recieve 1-6 minutes of air time to sell.
The contracts are structured many different ways, bartering requires the exchange of a product or service in place of paying for it but you are still paying for the time with your product or service or advertisin
Bill you are an experiance
Call your local radio and tv outlets and ask for their rates you can all find out yourself.