Limbaugh loses 141 sponsors, had ads pulled for two weeks

[Visionoyahweh]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Maybe the beginning of the end?

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/03/ ... -limbaugh/

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/03/ ... two-weeks/

[DarkAnts]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Maybe the beginning of the end?

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/03/ ... -limbaugh/

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/03/ ... two-weeks/

:clap: :D :dance:

[Guest Anonymous]

Ha! :clap:

[BravaAmica]

Well, the free market has spoken. And it's bitch slapped Rush in the face!

[debrand]

The advertisers have also requested to be excluded from other right-wing hosts including Michael Savage, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. According to the memo, the listed companies’ advertisements should be excluded from these programs because they have been “deemed to be offensive.â€

His actions affected other right wing hosts also.

For anyone screaming about free speech. A. Rush can say what he wants but he is not free from the public's reaction. B. Capitalism, baby! If you have a problem with this, take it up with Capitalism. LOL Companies want to sell a product so they don't want to be viewed as anti half of their potential customers.

I used to listen to Rush. He was against the Fairness Doctrine because he said that consumers should decide who they wanted on the radio.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/search/?que ... trine(this is a search I did for the word Fairness Doctrine on his site)

edited to add a link to Limbaugh's beef with The Fairness Doctrine

[kb2]

I used to listen to Rush. He was against the Fairness Doctrine because he said that consumers should decide who they wanted on the radio.

HA!

[Guest Anonymous]

I grew up having to listen to him as my parents regarded him as a hero. :shock:

If only there were a smiley giving its brain a bath...

[jericho]

His actions affected other right wing hosts also.

For anyone screaming about free speech. A. Rush can say what he wants but he is not free from the public's reaction. B. Capitalism, baby! If you have a problem with this, take it up with Capitalism. LOL Companies want to sell a product so they don't want to be viewed as anti half of their potential customers.

I used to listen to Rush. He was against the Fairness Doctrine because he said that consumers should decide who they wanted on the radio.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2008/ ... e_iceberg2

edited to add a link to Limbaugh's beef with The Fairness Doctrine

So Capitalism is good in this instance but its terrible for heathcare?

This advertising protest will not last. Ratings for conservative talk radio are through the roof. Businesses can not hold out long from running ads on top rated radio shows. If this were not true, then fox news would be out of business and conservative talk radio would not exist. If there were viable liberal talk show hosts for advertisers to turn to, then Rush would have a problem.

[Witsec7]

Rush should just take his bigoted and misogynistic message to satellite radio. That goes for Beck and Larson too.

[Austin]

I just think it's hilarious that he got hoisted on his own capitalism petard.

I firmly disagree with Steinem and Fonda that any censorship should be exercised. That's a slippery slope and I think Limbaugh should be able to run his yap until the cows come home.

[debrand]

So Capitalism is good in this instance but its terrible for heathcare?

This advertising protest will not last. Ratings for conservative talk radio are through the roof. Businesses can not hold out long from running ads on top rated radio shows. If this were not true, then fox news would be out of business and conservative talk radio would not exist. If there were viable liberal talk show hosts for advertisers to turn to, then Rush would have a problem.

Irony does not carry well in text. Smilies are too cute for my liking but this little guy :roll: would have probably gotten my point across.

I think that a mixture of socialism and captalism would work best in society.

Unlike Rush, I support the Fairness Doctrine. At the same time, I support LImbaugh's right to free speech also.

[MonkeyMomma]

Here they all are on a Pinterest board, with links to company statements where available:

http://pinterest.com/thinkprogress/comp ... -limbaugh/

This is really helpful in deciding where to shop. ;)

[Fluffy-Boo]

This advertising protest will not last. Ratings for conservative talk radio are through the roof. Businesses can not hold out long from running ads on top rated radio shows. If this were not true, then fox news would be out of business and conservative talk radio would not exist. If there were viable liberal talk show hosts for advertisers to turn to, then Rush would have a problem.

Probably true, being that the first of the advertisers to leave--Sleep Train--asked to be reinstated on Rush's program only a few days post departure.

http://www.businessinsider.com/which-ad ... ted-2012-3

It would seem, despite their offensive natures, that Rush's base is as loyal as Bill Maher's.

[Witsec7]

Rush loses sponsors and rates go down. The same sponsors return to the show at a lower cost. Its not rocket science. The sponsors did some public posturing and then when the furor dies down a bit, they go back to the same market. It all works to their advantage.

[shrewlu]

I firmly disagree with Steinem and Fonda that any censorship should be exercised. That's a slippery slope and I think Limbaugh should be able to run his yap until the cows come home.

This. He can say whatever he wants, but he has to face the potential consequences for his words. IMO, censorship is never the answer. Rush is nasty, hateful and repellant - and I have confidence that at some point, he will no longer have a public audience.

[EmmieJ]

So capitalism is good in this instance but its terrible for heathcare?

This advertising protest will not last. Ratings for conservative talk radio are through the roof. Businesses can not hold out long from running ads on top rated radio shows. If this were not true, then fox news would be out of business and conservative talk radio would not exist. If there were viable liberal talk show hosts for advertisers to turn to, then Rush would have a problem.

Could you provide the basis for your statement that ratings for conservative talk radio are "through the roof"?

This is a report from May 2011, so it's not exactly today's news, but it indicates there was quite a drop in Limbaugh's ratings, as well as Sean Hannity's. http://www.businessinsider.com/rush-lim ... ngs-2011-5

"With a lull in ratings since November, Rush Limbaugh had a 3.0 share of listeners for his radio time slot, which is a 33% slide from October and from last April, reports Crain."

I think perhaps this time, Rush went too far, and this whole fiasco is not going away. He's got to be sweating bullets. Here is some info that helped me understand why this is turning into a nightmare for Limbaugh:

"Rush makes money for Premiere Radio Networks (aka Clear Channel, half-owned by Bain Capital) in two ways. Premiere sells four minutes of national ads during each hour of Rush's show, 12 minutes a day in all, to national advertisers, and it charges radio stations to carry the show, giving them 10 minutes of ad time in each hour to sell to local advertisers. To make Rush's huge salary (probably not the $56 million a year Forbes claims, but surely in the tens of millions of dollars) pay, Premiere has to charge premium prices for those 12 minutes a day in the show.

If those minutes aren't filled, or if they're filled with advertisers getting the show at a discount, Premiere loses money on the deal.

For Premiere to essentially give up 120 minutes of Rush ad time (12 minutes a day over the next two weeks) in hopes that this will all blow over suggests that they're more worried than they've let on until now. They were almost sure that this would blow over by now, and it just keeps going."

The above are direct quotes from a blog on another website, but the information is accurate.

There is certainly a market for progressive talk shows. The Rachel Maddow show is very popular, Ed Schultz, The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert, etc., etc. I think the lesson that will be learned by Premiere is that Limbaugh is no longer acceptable, and they will decide to replace him with a conservative who is more appealing to the general populace. Huckabee comes to mind. Rush used to earn his huge salary, but if he is going to cost more than he's worth, Premiere will dump him unceremoniously. (BTW, what is Glenn Beck doing these days?)

[JenniferJuniper]

Rush loses sponsors and rates go down. The same sponsors return to the show at a lower cost. Its not rocket science. The sponsors did some public posturing and then when the furor dies down a bit, they go back to the same market. It all works to their advantage.

I can't remember which show it was as I was only listening and not watching, but that was the general consensus on MSNBC last night.

This is just a breather for the sponsors to thwart further negativity. They'll be back.

[shesinsane]

This. He can say whatever he wants, but he has to face the potential consequences for his words. IMO, censorship is never the answer. Rush is nasty, hateful and repellant - and I have confidence that at some point, he will no longer have a public audience.

Yup. Freedom of speech means the government won't lock up Limbaugh for what he says, it doesn't mean there won't be a reaction/consequences to what he says.

But he'll always have an audience, because his "dittoheads" like to be told good things about themselves, and he gives them what they want. Listening to a factual news radio station would just confuse them, and left wing talk is just crazy (to the dittoheads).

[Anise]

But he'll always have an audience, because his "dittoheads" like to be told good things about themselves, and he gives them what they want. Listening to a factual news radio station would just confuse them, and left wing talk is just crazy (to the dittoheads).

This reminds me of http://youtu.be/wQ9LFs43Xi4

[Avalondaughter]

HA!

I always say that if you opposed the Fairness Doctrine, then you have no right to complain that the media are now all too liberal. ;)

[Koala]

Well, the free market has spoken. And it's bitch slapped Rush in the face!

:D :D :D

[formergothardite]

So Capitalism is good in this instance but its terrible for heathcare?

This advertising protest will not last. Ratings for conservative talk radio are through the roof. Businesses can not hold out long from running ads on top rated radio shows. If this were not true, then fox news would be out of business and conservative talk radio would not exist. If there were viable liberal talk show hosts for advertisers to turn to, then Rush would have a problem.

Do you also protest public roads, the USPO, and public schools?

[jericho]

Do you also protest public roads, the USPO, and public schools?

No, because those have nothing to do with private companies such as health insurance. Apples to Oranges.

[Witsec1]

No, because those have nothing to do with private companies such as health insurance. Apples to Oranges.

LOLwut? There are no private schools, FedEx is an illusion?

[MandyLaLa]

So Capitalism is good in this instance but its terrible for heathcare?

I can't believe this even needs to be said but A. The two are apples and oranges and a shitty strawman at best. B. Capitalism is not a right. Healthcare according to the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (of which the U.S. has signed onto) is a basic human right.