MEDIA MATTERS: Limbaugh Is FINISHED: "The Damage Has Been Done"

[KharmaTrain]

5. Corporate Radio Circling The Drain...

...Rushbo's rise happened with the rise of radio "deregulation" that enabled corporates like Clear Channel and Cumulus to devour thousands of radio stations; many that were previously locally owned. They replaced live and local programming with cheap right wing satellite-delivered bile. For a while it made a little money but many stations that carry these shows are old, failing operations that have become big loss leaders for corporates who overspent to monopolize the airwaves. The internet and satellite have drawn many listeners away (especially those under 40) and left only old, white males still hanging on to their AM radios and their rushbos and bile spewers.

Hate radio's affect on the rushpublican party and on the nation overall has been devestating. They've been the tail that wags the dog and in their zeal for popularity and purity have drive that party off the political abyss. Last year's election may have proved a watershed for a dying industry. Not only wasn't rushbo able to find a right wing alternative to Willard to rally around, many of the far right candidates he's they supported...Aiken, Murdoch...went down to big defeats. Add to this the billions in debt Clear Channel and Cumulus have accumulated in the past decade and you're looking at an industry that's in serious financial distress with rushbo as their poster boy...