The syndicated talker, who for two decades has been universally regarded as the most popular and powerful AM talker in the country, continues to wallow in obscurity in the nation's second largest radio market. According to recently released ratings from Nielsen Audio, Limbaugh's California flagship station, KEIB, now ranks 39th in the Los Angeles market, attracting an anemic .5 ratings share. (A ratings share represents the percent of those listening to radio in the market who are tuned into a particular station.)
The tumble to 39th place represents yet another downward lurch -- in March the station logged in at 37th place. Note that there are a total of 45 rated stations in the Los Angeles market, which means Limbaugh's KEIB station (the call letters mirror Limbaugh's motto, "Excellence in Broadcasting") has nearly reached the ratings basement.
And yes, Limbaugh's syndicator, Clear Channel-owned Premier Networks, pays the talker $50 million a year.
The April ratings come in the wake of a disastrous winter for Limbaugh in key California markets. As Media Matters recently noted, Clear Channel moved Limbaugh off his longtime Los Angeles home, KFI, and made him the centerpiece of an all-conservative talk radio lineup on KEIB, where Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck are also heard.
As of April, KEIB not only ranks 39th in the Los Angeles market, but it trails 12 non-English stations and four college outlets. Meanwhile, 10th-rated KFI's ratings remain strong in the wake of Limbaugh's departure from the station. In the past, stations that lost Rush from their lineup often saw steep declines in listenership. He served as the programming tent pole. No more.
I think the only other person that I want to sink into the quagmire of obscurity as much as Sarah Palin is this guy.
And in some ways he is even worse because conservatives actually listen to HIM.
Well, at least they used to.
Aw. Poor baby.
ReplyDeleteHey! Could we get him to take SP with him into that quagmire? I'd love to see who gets to stand on whose head! I'd bet that if he could get her to wear a skirt he would let her just so he could "sneak a peek".
Rush likes Dominican boys, he could care less about Sarah's used up smelly coochie.
DeleteLimpballs will always be on the air because he caters to a niche market... the LOONIES!
ReplyDeleteI read something that it is a possibility that Limbaugh should be prosecuted for a payola scandal.
ReplyDeleteAnytime someone is on the radio airwaves and is taking money to extoll a certain agenda and is being paid by those wanting to get their agenda out----payola. Now who exactly is paying Limbaugh now that all of his sponsors have evaporated?
Yeah but did you hear that the fuckface won a children's book award?
ReplyDeleteHow many did he eat?
DeleteMy favorite Limbaugh quote:
ReplyDelete"I don't have to be accurate - look - I don't have to tell the truth. I'm an entertainer."
That pretty much says it all - and straight from the horse's ass to boot!
And then there's the time Glenn Beck was appearing on one of the Fox shows when he said with a huge grin, "Anyone who believes what I say on air is an idiot".
DeleteThe only person whose downfall I want more than Palin's is this fat hatemongering drug addict' s.
ReplyDeleteGotta love Twitter with their persistent and still going on #StopRush or #FlushRush.
ReplyDeleteI think some of this has to do with radio in general. Aside from NPR I think a lot of radio listeners listen to local stations. I'm in a big major city and aside from Xian preachers (some in Spanish even) I have my choice of Mexican music, Oldies, R&B and Country Western. All local stations. I can't even find one classical station any more. So I'm on NPR 100% of the time. And Rush doesn't broadcast on NPR thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteWith satellite radio there are thousands of choices. Add your own CD/download collection on the device of your choice and there is no reason to listen to talk radio at all. It may be cheap, but it also has a limited appeal. And that appeal base is passing on from natural causes of age. They're dying and not being replaced as the young have no use for talk radio. They've already got their digital sources lined up since grade school and talk radio is not on their radar. Certainly not Rush.
Has anyone done a demographic of the age, race, gender and religion of his average fan base? Bet it's old, white Xian men. Gee, just like the Republican base. Which is also shrinking.
He (and Sarah) has the perfect face for radio! The problem for Rush is multifaceted (excellently explained by mlaiuppa @10:01 AM above). For years his ratings depended on the nature of his target audience and their laziness to never change channels. Now people have more to choose from and many just sync their MP3 playlists.
ReplyDeleteAfter his torturing of Sandra Flukes and others, it became harder and harder for him to stay relevant with people boycotting his sponsors and letting their disgust be known by mail, social media, and letters to the editors. Once one hits satellite radio, his target audience can't afford subscriptions and find their hate elsewhere.
Couldn't happen to one more deserving.