Limbaugh's Dirty Little Secret of Radio "Success"
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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How do real people feel about Rush? Watch the clip.
His celebrity and popularity is completely manufactured.
I can't watch the clip. If I ever hear him again, it will be too soon. Project C h a o s which he disavowed himself from, but then offered it up as his defense when a fellow conservative attacked him on his own show, is enough for me in my judgement for him to be prosecuted for treason for the incitement of Republicans in Texas whose candidate had already been chosen, to switch parties to vote for Hillary in order to cause, as he said, "c h a o s" in the efforts of the American Democratic party in choosing their presidential nominee. This is treason. He should be prosecuted.
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OK, by why did this work for Limbaugh and not Air America? Or aren't you allowed to ask that question?
The market was already monopolized. There was much more money behind Limbaugh and the Communication Act makes it very hard for new people to enter markets. If you were a decent person, and if you knew all the unfair business practices taken against Air America and progressive hosts, you would be upset.
Please, post my comment.
I don't listen to Air America because I cannot bear the inane and useless commercials that accompany the show. This is why I don't listen to any radio (including NPR and PRI) anymore. It's iPod and podcasts all the way for me.
I get the radio podcasts for a small fee. No commercials interrupting every 5 minutes. It's the only way to listen to Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, or Rachel Maddow. Otherwise, the same ridiculous commercials will drive you crazy.
Air America did the same thing, with the free show for national ad air-time. I remember Thom explaining it a year or two ago.
The unsuccessful Air America can do the same thing Rush did. What's to stop ANY liberal show from giving their show away "free"?? Thing is, though, people don't want to hear boring progressives bloviate. They are an echo of what the networks and NY Times report.
Rush offers an entertaining, enlightened point of view.
Entertaini
Limbaugh on radio=Jerry Springer on TV
enlightened? the only ones who can be enlightened by him live in the zoo
Randi Rhodes, Rachel Maddow, and Thom Hartman have been very successful and I believe they would take over the country if given the chance of fair business practices.
Please, post my comment.
"...people don't want to hear boring progressives bloviate."
True. Judging by ratings, what they want is bottom-of-
In other words, somebody losing their po0p, on an hourly basis.
Because, if your message isn't worth yelling, why bother, right?
He gave away the show for free. In other words, he made a smart business decision. People give out stuff for free all the time in order to get off the ground.
The problem happens when you monopolize the market with unfair business practices. Study the history of monopolies in the United States. It is not pretty.
I travel I-95 from Florida to Maine several times a year, and listening to local AM stations on this tedious journey is a geographical and sociological eye-opener. Sandwiched between the rants of local Christian pastors, one finds Beck, Limbaugh, Savage, Schnitt etc on the air from Florida to Fredericksburg. From then on north there is relief. I believe if I travel I-10 from Jax to points west, I will listen to the same blend of local religious broadcasts and Rush, et al.
This is America, and we have to understand that, for the great majority of Americans, this is what they listen to. NPR does not appeal and Air America does not exist in these areas. The lowest common denominator - in this case, Rush - always appeals to the masses, a principle understood by Goebbels and latterly, Rush Limbaugh and Roger Ailes. I compensate by imagining Rush to be the reincarnation of W. C. Fields - the resemblance is uncanny, right down to the phallic-co
I appreciate your comments and think you have a lot of insight. I do road trips as well, in the west, and notice a similar phenomenon only with more country music. I listen to the preacher's a bit for laughs, but don't last more than 30 seconds with the talkers. There was a time in this country when the radio was full of wonderful locally produced music shows hosted by interesting and knowledgeable men (yes, they were all men then) who helped make the hours fly by and enhanced your awareness of what went before; now it's all hate (and some of that from the preachers) and "salvation".
Today the REAL bigotry, hatred and ignorance and intolerance is coming from the democrat left.
Please, explain your laughable claim.
I really doubt that Joe!
Mr. Upton bumped his head this morning, friends.
While I am an unapologetic member of the democrat left, I'm going to say that while I disagree with you on the whole, I have seen alot of what you're talking about. I have seen fellow liberals attack other people for believing in God, or for not being vegetarian, or not being understanding enough, or even giving their dogs surnames..
I live in Kansas and I understand well that the world isn't perfect yet. I don't get harrassed by people on the left however, I can tell you that. People on the right don't even consider any other view to be legitimate. People on the right are not good at making arguments, so they resort to being backed by God or they call names or somehow, they just know things. That is my take on it. I do think it is a human thing to want to see oneself as superior to others or to put up a front to avoid being discovered to be a person without worth. That is not a factor of political persuasion, just human. From my vantage point, I just think that the non-republicans have better ideas, that work better, period. Republicans have always ran with ideas that work only on a very short term basis and then have long term, major consequences. In my lifetime, I have seen this repeatedly.
As a proud liberal, I am offended at your "definition" of liberal (vegetarianism, doggie worship, etc.). I am POLITICALLY liberal. I am also a vegetarian and an atheist, but outside of lending a book or donating to a cause, I tolerate those with other lifestyles. I assume I am free to criticize them, respectfully. Please refer me to a liberal talk show personality who publicly attacks carnivores or believers?
Wait a minute! The difference (in my opinion) between the left and the right is that on the left you CAN have a different opinion and it will be respected. As a non-Christian I find it difficult to even find a place for me on the right. I don't see them trying to make a place for me either.
I strongly disagree, Mr. Upton. While there are intolerant sorts across the political spectrum, I have yet to be harrassed by someone of a liberal mindset, but I have been subjected to some pretty nasty things from conservatives and Republicans.
Maybe our limited views are skewed by the company we keep. But somehow I think progressives and liberals are overall the more tolerant group.
Does anybody know what is going on with Randi Rhodes? In my opinion, she really has a case for unfair business practices.
What did happen to Randi? I listened to her every afternoon on Air America and then one day she wasn't there, although her replacement kept saying that she was away for personal reasons, and then she never came back. I adore her. Was she let go?
This is what I know, something happened with the firings at the Clear Channel. One of her very best buddies along with 2000 workers were let go while Limbaugh was just given a 400 million dollar contract. How does one claim to be losing money while giving out contracts like this? Randi has issues with the fact that she is blocked from much of the country. She is given bad excuses even in the face of the fact that her ratings keep going up in whatever sector she is let loose on. I have been told that she is trying to start her own national network.
cool, so all I have to do is tell 600 radio stations i'll work for free and soon I too will be worth 300 million dollars. Who knew it was so easy?
Well, guess what? it is!
Where did the original $$$$ come from to do this? It seems to be happening in my local small town newspaper as well because they run right wing drivel written by nobody from around here and have fired most of the staff.
Good question. Obviously, these are unfair business practices meant to muscle out all the competition, meant to eliminate opposing political voices from reaching our country, and meant to cause unfair results come election day for the right wing corporatists who think nothing of cheating and rigging any contest with a lot of plotting with their friends and the benefit of having unfair amounts of money to further manipulate things within their favor.
Since Rachel Maddow got her show and the ratings e x p l o s i o n she received, has anybody noticed that MSNBC was forced on to paid cable, no longer is it in the free package in much of the country.
With forces like these working against us, we need to reevaluate the meaning of the First Amendment. Does it apply to breaking up media monopolies and unfair business practices?
That would be quite the story. Regardless of if it coincided with Maddow or not. Can you offer any further evidence?
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For all you Rush haters....
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oh my oh my ..........
thats because he must have brainwashed the executives at Premier radio! i mean he could not even get through college, there is no way he is intelligent. and we all know how terribly incorrect his views are..... i sell tin foil hats (as seen in signs), think we should all wear them to avoid his brainwashing rays.
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Rush spews enough hate for everyone, there's no need to hate someone like that, he already hates himself no matter how much money he might make
No one but you Rex has their panties in a bunch!
Or--in RexHandsom's case--that would be his "panttties
Wow. 20 million is a big number. This country needs to do a better job of educating our youth.
I think the excess will take him quickly to the grave. Count the days.
what I feel like trying to comment here:
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this comment is pending approval
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I to have shed the enormous weight of the Limbaugh broadcast from my life... I feel like I've lost at least 375 pounds.
nice, a fat joke. thats funny
The Right always thought it was funny when it was applied to Michael Moore.
Liberals are kind virtuous people, so even if they make fat jokes against people they don't like we must tell ourselves that liberals are nice virtuous people.
I stopped listening to Limbaugh a few weeks ago and was able to get off anti-depressants. No more
doom and gloom and fear for me. I chose optimism and hope. Life is good.
good one.
That's the difference between Rush and Obama. Rush doesn't force anyone to listen to him or give him money. Obama is a fascist (early 20th Century progressive i.e. Wilson) who doesn't mind FORCING individuals to pay for his utopian dreams.
If Rush was sitting on you you'd feel "forced" to submit to whatever he asked you to do.
I guess I'm one of those individuals who paid for your so-called utopian dreams. Why does Rush's "operation chaos" fail? Why doesn't he try for a seat in the Oval Office? I will tell you why. It is because everyone knows he is full of "hot air." I turn my car radio OFF if I can't find something decent. I avoid him like the plague.
WHAT are you talking about??????
I assume you are referring to TAXES when you says he is "FORCING individuals to pay."
Honestly, I'd rather help fund utopian dreams, than bombs that drop on babies. I'm just saying...
The gloom and doom came from Obama with his rants about the worst economy EVER !
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