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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Guess what? It's not unique to radio. Small newspapers across the country, which cannot afford the big-name columnists, get bundles of weekly columnists at a very low price - and guess what? all the news commentators among them are very conservative. (A bundle typically includes some current events commentary, home repair, car repair, garden, housekeeping, etc. - but quite a few conservative political columns in the mix.
Can't help supposing that these might be generated by a conservative plot (er, 'think') tank...?
the trump card for conservatives is their ability to express themselves simply. Even if the facts say otherwise, those who can render simple solutions (even if the problem is complex) will always have a cadre of believers. Education is the antidote. This might explain why right wingers are so against it. For woefully produced as it may be, public education does encourage open minded thinking as opposed to rote acceptance of socially acceptable perspectives. The Bush years tried, somewhat successfully, to bring back factory style learning to the public schools.
They should still be asking for their money back.
There are more than two sides to any given issue, which is exactly why the fairness doctrine is so problematic and patently artificial. Given a 10 minute commentary on the stimulus package, how will you include the views of economic conservatives, economic libertarians, economic liberals, actual socialists, pure market anarchists and every other flavor in between? You won't, unless you want to reduce the entire thing to generic sound bites. It is also somewhat absurd to think that the fairness doctrine will even make a real difference. The conversation of politics has moved primarily online. Radio is just one of many sounding boards. The first amendment issues of forcing people to insert countervailing arguments are very real, and should not be dismissed simply because one side stands to gain from said legislation.
Want to know how difficult it is to actually implement a fairness doctrine, try it yourself in these comments. Make sure to give equal depth, analysis, and credibility to an opposing point of view, which you must present inline with your own point of view.
It's absurd. There are plenty of outlets for everyone's ideas. Rules that control what people can't say (as well as what they MUST say) are a direct threat to a very simple and practical right that we should all cherish and defend, regardless of political affiliation.
Nothing like an uninformed opinion to really make a case for something.
If you actually had any idea what the Fairness Doctrine was, and how it worked, maybe you'd realize that it isn't such an "unmanageable beast" after all.
Do a little reading and educate yourself before misleading others with your ill informed wild-a$$ed guesses and prognostications.
The Fairness Doctrine actually served the country well for the better part of half a century... until Ronnie Reagan disemboweled it... Do you find it not at all coincidental that the country has been so politically polarized since Reagan ? Do you not wonder if the demise of the Fairness Doctrine might be in some part related to the current political toxicity in our country ? Do you really think that the aim of the Fairness Doctrine is to give equal time to every conceivable point of view on an issue before the discussion can be "cleared" to go on the airwaves ?
Honestly..
Many of the comments against the fairness doctrine show why it was a good thing. Most opponents seem to not even understand the basic issue. They show the effects of making the airwaves a propaganda tool.
If Rush was not popular - he would be syndicated! To be bartered is an indication of his popularity! The mother company makes money because other companies are eager to advertise during his show. It is like giving you a free website, e.g. Huffington
Nonsense. If you put anything mildly interesting on the airwaves people will listen to it if they have nothing else (The same applies to TV for that matter, hence the plethora of cheap to produce garbage reality shows). Rush could just as easily be replaced by a decent local political commentator discussing (fairly) how local and federal politics are impacting the local listener. There are also hundreds of topics of interest to the general population that do not include hyperbole and divisiveness.
Unfortunately it's hard for anyone to compete against 3 hours of free programming from a "big name". Even a monkey attempting to play piano has to be fed and cared for.
Fair discussions by a announcer are not as ear catching or amusing as controversial foaming at the mouth. However if you put someone on a strong station for 3 hours a day after awhile they seem like a family member and develop a following.
You're right.I've driven in areas of North Carolina where you couldn't pick up any radio stations,but you can hear Rush's show loud and clear. So I put on one of my CD's or just listen to the voices in my head. Anything,but Rush. I can't stand the sound of his voice! let alone the nonsense he's always preaching.
Why does this not surprise me? To hear rush talk though, you would think these people were beating down the door to have access to his trash talking. R O T F L M A O
Bartering has been around for eons. That's how the infomercial gang got in the door. For Limbaugh et al, it's about mind control. If you broadcast the same thing over, and over on every radio station at the same time--they become Manchurian Candidates. Good news/bad news is radio stations and other media are closing down because ad dollars are not there. Rush soon may have to "pony up."
It's called Propaganda!
the people need propaganda technique detection skills: how to recognize and ignore propaganda. rush uses a variety of these techniques: repetition, good word/ bad word labeling (liberal, etc.), bandwagon (us v. them) but I believe that his best one lies in the phony call in section of programming. He has a variety of plants who either agree with him or call in and question his ideas and then end up agreeing with him. If someone with an independent thought does get through, he becomes abusive. Now how do we educate people to detect such behavior?
it's called repetition. LOL :)
the people need propaganda technique detection skills: how to recognize and ignore propaganda. rush uses a variety of these techniques: repetition, good word/ bad word labeling (liberal, etc.), bandwagon (us v. them) but I believe that his best one lies in the phony call in section of programming. He has a variety of plants who either agree with him or call in and question his ideas and then end up agreeing with him. If someone with an independent thought does get through, he becomes abusive. Now how do we educate people to detect such behavior?
...and worth every penny.
Rush Limbaugh - the Microsoft Internet Explorer of the airwaves.
Rotten apples are easy pickin's.
Go figure.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT but would you take poisen if they gave it away for free. Rush is a mind poisener..
Good article Bill, two things #1) Savage started on KGO on Saturday afternoons-only a few weeks-but thats where I first heard him, couldn't believe they carried him but he wasn't quite so wacked out. As for Rush being given away, I heard Rush tell that story years ago as to how he grew. He didn't try to hide it, he did mention that at some point you still have to have the audience, you left that out. I get a kick out of both of you..miss your TV reviews in the Press Demo, the next local paper to probably go under...
SO WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME, RUSH IS GOOD FOR NOTHING?
YES!
http://www
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