Mediaite Learns: ‘Vast Majority Of National Advertisers Now Refuse To Air Ads During Limbaugh’s Show

[kpete]

Mediaite Learns: ‘Vast Majority Of National Advertisers Now Refuse To Air Ads During Limbaugh’s Show’
by Andrew Kirell | 1:57 pm, May 6th, 2013 » 254 comments

As we reported earlier this morning, Rush Limbaugh is allegedly in the midst of a battle with Cumulus Media, the distributor of his radio show. The company’s CEO has blamed ad revenue losses on the conservative talkers’ controversial 2012 “slut” comments about Georgetown student Sandra Fluke.

Mediaite’s own sources confirm that the ad troubles in connection with Limbaugh’s show are, indeed, severe. In fact, one source within the radio advertising world with direct knowledge of the ad buys on Limbaugh’s show confirms the extent of the problem: “The vast majority of national advertisers now refuse to air their ads during Rush Limbaugh’s show,” our source tells us.

Limbaugh is reportedly considering a departure from Cumulus (or vice versa) after Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey‘s public comments that the Fluke incident is “still causing problems” with potential ad buyers. Limbaugh currently hosts the number-one most-listened-to radio show in the United States, and his departure would present a huge shake-up for the radio business.

The next earnings call for Cumulus is tomorrow and Dickey will undoubtedly be asked by Wall Street analysts how Limbaugh’s performing on the 40 Cumulus stations that carry the show. Despite Limbaugh’s immense value, Dickey has previously claimed that Cumulus’s top three stations had lost $5.5 million as a result of the anti-Limbaugh backlash. A while back, ThinkProgress obtained a memo showing the 96 national companies that had reportedly asked Cumulus to not broadcast their commercials during the Limbaugh program.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/mediaite-learns-vast-majority-of-national-advertisers-now-refuse-to-air-ads-during-limbaughs-show/

[KharmaTrain]

1. Unfortunately It's Also Taken A Toll On Progressive Radio...

Cumulus and it's CEO Bill Dickey are looking for a reason to dump rushbo...who is employed by his chief competitor: Clear Channel. For over a year Cumulus has been establishing their own bile spewer: Mikie Hucklenutz. Cumulus inherited a lot of former Citadel and ABC stations that signed long-term deals for rushbo and Dickey is looking for an escape...dumping rushbo and replacing him with Hucklenutz saves him lots of bucks and hurts his biggest competitor. There's no honor among these thieves.

Unfortunately the advertiser boycott isn't just for rushbo but for all political talk radio. The hate radio format has become so toxic it's chased away all but the most strident listeners. AM and FM Radio are dying...local cable, satellite and internet radio are reaching more and more listeners and leaving companies like Cumulus and Clear Channel to scramble for what little audience is left. With poor ratings and now shrinking revenues, the corporates have been switching to sports to attempt to milk one final pisatre out of their failing properties...

[freshwest]

2. Focus now on those who still sponsor this shitstain. All of them.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. It wasn't just that one comment.

It was the 50,000 other awful comments he has made. The slut stuff was just the one that broke the camel's back.

All of those right wing hate guys are so tiresome.

[chillfactor]

10. agreed

Limpballs is so far over the far right cliff he fell off long ago .. his recent rants the last two days have been just as insane as many others he has carried on about...I just wish Rush could be dumped from the airwaves all togther....

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. It's all money.

Kind of like Anne Coulter. It's all just a big dog and pony show.

[KansDem]

4. I remember a time when if a radio host had called a woman a "slut" on the national airwaves...

...and suggested she post videos of herself having sex for all to see, that person would've disappeared over night. There would've been no "ifs," "ands," or "buts" about it: he'd be gone. They'd be no discussion of advertising revenue in arriving at a decision whether to keep him or let him go.

Oh, and there'd been no bronze bust of him erected at the capitol of his home state.

[randome]

5. Pair Limbaugh with Beck. Then televise the result on Pay-Per-View.

Only these two heroes can show us the way out.

[Initech]

9. That will be fun to watch! Pass the butter!

[Shankapotomus]

6. These advertisers are running ads

on Limbaugh's website:

http://www.idrive.com/index.html

http://www.taxresolution.com/

http://www.lifelock.com/offers/rush/

If we give them a couple of click-throughs from DU they will know, through their web stats, we are talking about them negatively and know it's because of their association with Limbaugh.

[toby jo]

7. "lifelock" alert - there's a pic of rushie up front and center. Shank, why so mean to us today?

[Shankapotomus]

8. Sorry about the scary image

Guess I should have warned you.

[Whisp]

11. the apple has been stuck in the pig's mouth. good.

what a vile, loathsome creature that is.

[ca3799]

13. Call or email your local station (more)

Rush is on the ropes. Let's see if we can help.

For those sick of Rush and his ilk, this would be a good time to take a small action.
Take this opportunity to let your local stations know how much you are not enjoying the 'all politics all the time' formats. They may be particularly receptive to your email at this time.

My station has Rush (3 freaking hours a day! UGH!) Hannity, that freaky-freak Levin and a local yahoo named Michael Barry (recently popped for a hit-and-run after drinking at a local gay bar- LOL!).

If you are sick of Rush and his type, call or email your station mananger. Let them know.

[Mariana]

14. Better still, write letters and mail them.

Generally, letters on pieces of paper get much more attention than e-mails.

[love_katz]

15. Hoping that the Rushbo ship is sinking.