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The Advertiser Boycott Hurts and Rush Limbaugh Is Starting To Squeal
As he continues to lose money, Rush Limbaugh tried to stop the bleeding by squealing about AstroTurf and how the boycott is really no big deal.
Here is the audio from Media Matters:
Limbaugh said,
We’re having to white out some information on the piece we have, and we’re even doing more than tweeting it out to you so you can see it, but it’s an AstroTurf secondary boycott. Totally fake, totally manufactured, in fact it has been sitting in a drawer since 2009 waiting to be hatched, and in fact something that we tweeted over the weekend. There is a radio trade website by a radio journalist named Al Peterson, and it just so happens that a couple of radio consultants tweeted or did a survey about this whole circumstance and they characterized me as the canary in the coal mine for all of radio.
And a guy was out doing a marketing survey at the time decided to go ahead and find out if indeed this whole episode was damaging talk radio, it’s not. In fact this survey illustrates that none of you in this audience believed any of this, and didn’t think it was that big a deal to begin with.
Rush Limbaugh has now moved on to step two on the Glenn Beck advertiser boycott path of destruction. When Beck was faced with a mass exodus of advertisers, one of the claims that he and supporters made was that his ratings were still high. This was an irrelevant point when Beck made it last year, and it was still irrelevant when Limbaugh used it today.
The boycott isn’t targeting Rush Limbaugh’s listeners. The boycott is targeting his advertisers, so the question isn’t whether Limbaugh’s listeners support the boycott, but how many of the departed advertisers have returned to Limbaugh’s show? The big time corporate advertisers are not coming back. The whole blaming it on AstroTurf excuse is an attempt to delegitimatize the boycott and lure the advertisers back.
This is the point where common sense should enter into the analysis. If Rush Limbaugh’s audience really doesn’t care and the advertisers are pleased as punch and all still there, then why is Limbaugh wasting airtime trying to discredit a boycott that isn’t working? The truth is that this boycott is costing Limbaugh, Premiere Networks, and the radio stations that pay the exorbitant license fee to carry The Rush Limbaugh Show money.
I don’t think that Rush Limbaugh will be forced off the air, but the next interesting development to watch out for is how many stations drop Rush Limbaugh in favor the new Mike Huckabee show starting in early April. No matter what, this boycott has been a success because for the first time in his career Rush Limbaugh is being held accountable. The bubble that is right wing talk radio has been punctured.
Rush Limbaugh may take comfort in the fact that his audience is still with him, but he needs to remember that Glenn Beck still had two million nightly viewers when he was canned by Fox News.
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20 Responses to The Advertiser Boycott Hurts and Rush Limbaugh Is Starting To Squeal
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Johnee
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 7:02 pm
It’s a symbiotic relationship. One cannot exist without the other. So yes it is absurd for Rush to talk about ratings. Advertisers pay the bills which not only includes everyone’s paycheck, but the rate of pay as well. When “Friends” was on, the reason it’s stars got paid outrageous sums per episode ( a cool million ) was because the advertisers paid the big bucks to be in that time slot. Who doesn’t understand this? Oh, sorry, we ARE talking about Ditto heads after all. I’m sure Rush is counting on his average listener to not put two and two together…and he would be right.
j
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I saw a vile nasty add on my TV last night, it was Huckabee, the lies about the health care plan were so blatant and his hate was obvious, he wanted everyone to sign a petition to get rid of the health care plan. I thought this man was a so called christian, I never heard a genuine christian spill so many lies and be so nasty!
He certainly is trying to get Limbaugh’s job.
Mae Bloomfield
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 4:35 am
The Christian Republicans’ Prayer and Answer!
In 2008, many Christian Southern and Bible Belt Republican lawmakers got together and prayed: Dear Lord, please give us a Christian president, happily-married, not a whoremonger, not a divorcee but one who can be a strong moral father figure: preferably the son of a Christian Catholic woman (they are proven most likely to have their children baptized as Christians).
Give us a First lady who will be greatly admired, one that will resurrect America’s fashion industry; one that will encourage young people to eat well and to be a role model for young people also. Make her assist our fashion industry and allow our young designers to get worldwide acclaim.
Allow this president to protect our tanks and Humvees from roadside bombs; restore America’s image abroad so that our allies and competitors can buy our products again. With three wars waging and no bonds floated for their continuity, give that president wisdom to end at least two of them as soon as possible. Father, our DJIA is at 6500, should the market crash, give this leader wisdom to put policies in place to shorten the impact and to let our stock market improve at least 25%. To prove that it is you, who have selected this president Father, let the Dow double to 13,000. Let your chosen vessel be shrewd and wise enough to find and eliminate Osama Bin Laden and be diplomatic enough to call and receive positive responses from all nations who have nuclear materials –for meetings on non-nuclear proliferation.
So the Lord responded with thunder and lightening and spoke these words: “ My answer is in Proverbs 21: 1-3 “ In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. 2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. “
Sarah Palin doubted and was punished. Rick Perry doubted and he also was punished.
Moral of the story: when you pray to God for something and He answers, you may not understand the reason then, but at all times His ways are better than our ways and our limited perceptions.
Eli Cabelly
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
They forgot to pray for the new president to be white and from the south.
robyn ryan
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 3:09 pm
The old adage ‘Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it’ is still true.:)
Mae Bloomfield
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 4:53 am
Rush is the de facto leader of the Repubs. To fire him would mean cutting off the head of the dragon. Big moneyed interest made windfalls under this POTUS. How do they say thanks: they have many female receptionists registered for part time work, whose names are actually on registereedd documents as shareholders of registered companies–quite legit. Their sons and daughters are executives: they do not serve in the military and as shareholders they pay less taxes.
As soon as Pres Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter bill giving equal pay to women, the receptionists demand and had to receive salaries as corporate exectutives. They have waged war on women and the Democrats ever since. Hence, Rush’s rantings are not accidental or isolated.
SinghX
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
I’ve tried to read his diatribe twice now and it’s all over the time continuum; he’s either purposely talking that way to confuse people or, he’s lost control of the story…or, he’s high.
First he’s “tweeting” information that’s brand new, then he says it’s fake and 3 years old (2009) and then he says “…it’s something that we tweeted over the weekend.” Then, he changes the subject to a website and mentions some guy, then switches back to “a couple of radio consultants “tweeted” or did a “survey” about “this”…” He goes on to say “a guy was out doing a marketing survey at the time decided to go ahead and find out if indeed “this” whole episode was damaging talk radio”…not him, or course, but talk radio, as in everybody in the industry, the audience, etc.
What the fu8k is he talking about??! Does he even know what story he’s making up or is he so high (and assumes his listeners are too) that his incomprehensible jumbo of “this guy” and “that guy” and “tweet and or did a survey” is even comprehensible? He continues with his “some guys” survey illustrates (big word there Rushbo) his listeners don’t believe and of “this” and don’t care about “that”…
What is he talking about??!
Johnee
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
It’s an interesting point that you bring up. We all know that all Rush’s little Ditto heads worship him from on high and hang onto his every word as if it’s the gospel truth. What you are describing is a cult like mentality where the cult figure head can say up is down and black is white and have his minions believe every word. The dodge and weave, talk in circles, look at this hand while I’m doing this razzle dazzle, is a common technique that is used on weak minds and people that are vulnerable to such nonsense. This is exactly what Rushbo does.
Another cult figure that uses similar techniques to Rush is Charles Manson. Watch some of ‘ol Charlie’s interviews from prison. The guy contradicts himself constantly, talks in complete circles, and spouts confusing gibberish, but he does it with an authoritative tone. Most people say “this guy is full of s&%$! How could anyone fall for that crap?” However, when you consider the gullible and needy nature of the rest of the “Manson family” you can understand why.
SinghX
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Good analysis…however, I’ve always compared the Manson Family to the Santorum Family.
I compare Rush to more of a cult politico-type leadership, like Lyndon LaRouche…
www.rickross.com/referenc...
Jeff R
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Even if Mr. Limbaugh keeps every single one of his listeners he still will not have very many. I have always been baffled by the assertion that he draws huge numbers, because he does not. He asserts that he has 15 million listeners a week (Arbitron says 13 million, but why quibble). If we allow the 15 million, that is ONE TENTH the listeners that NPR news has. Taken one step further, Limbaugh draws an average of 3 million listeners a day. NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” draws a slightly larger audience than that and it’s a comedy news show. The Daily Show with 2.3 million a broadcast is rapidly gaining on him (and has already surpassed any show on Fox News).
It appears Americans are finally beginning to wake up to what the “conservative” extremists have in mind for our country. Americans are beginning to recognize that the “conservative” definition of “freedom” bears a strong resemblance to what “conservatives” called ENHANCED INTERROGATION and that calling theocratic dictatorship “liberty” is not actual, genuine liberty.
Cha
Mar. 19th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
limbaugh LIES for a living..of course, he’s LYING now and Squealing like a stuck pig. Sorry, Maher..I know this really hurts you too. Boo Hoo, idiot.
Mr.RIGHT
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 12:00 am
Why are we so concerned about Rush when Owebama took 5.5 trillion in debt to fund his crooked Corporate-Socialist Industrialist buddies/donors in Solar Contracts
Mae Bloomfield
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 5:03 am
Reply to Mr. Right.
I wonder if you really believe what you typed? Did President Obama really rake up 5.5 trillion debt? Did we raise bonds to pay for the three wars? Did we not take old ladies Social security and Medical Benefits entitlement monies to pay for some questional war intrusions? Who strengthened the Humvees? Who strengthened National Security and is even having the Department of Energy’s experts team up with Homeland security to redeem over 70% of loose nuclear materials worldwide? Whose Diplomatic skills have enabled even former enemy states to comply? The choice in November is simple: the old grumpy chauvinists vs the young and evolving progressives.
Jeff R
Mar. 21st, 2012 at 3:00 am
Obama is on course to run up less than half the debt of the sainted Ronald Reagan as a percentage of GDP. You really should take a look at the facts before you spread more of of those right-wing lies (Did I say right-wing lies? Sorry for repeating myself.)
Take a look at – andrewsullivan.thedailybe... – for the synopsis.
Game of Life
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 4:31 am
The people have spoken.
Thomas Purcell
Mar. 20th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Well, waitaminute–the point is to get rid of Rush right? If he still has his listening base what good did you do with a boycott– all you did was huirt the poor schmuck working for these companies. That’s not making a difference, that’s causing destruction to the nation’s economy and not helping equal rights for women.
Furthermore, by sensationalizing an idiotic comment, aren’t you in fact promoting his agenda and ideas. I doubt anyone would have given a toot about Fluke’s testimony until this controversy erupted. I’m sorry but boycotts are not helping matters they are making matters worse. If you want to stop senseless and vile attacks on a person this is not the way to do it. In the end you simply give people like Rush a larger voice with more people giving credence to what he says and damaging innocent bystanders in the process.
Jeff R
Mar. 21st, 2012 at 3:10 am
Nope… just give it some time. If the boycott holds Rushboo is gone. Radio is a business and he stops making the network and the stations they’ll throw him overboard like yesterday’s table scraps.
He’ll still have his money, so he could live very comfortably, but without his adoring “Dodo heads” he’ll shrivel like a plant denied the sun.
And which “poor schmuck” are you talking about? The advertisers? The people who work at the stations that broadcast Limbie’s poison? The people who work at the network? It’s not like the guy who cleans up the mess in Limbaugh’s torture chamber is an innocent. No one forced that “poor schmuck” to aid and abet Limbaugh in his sedition. Like the rest of us the “poor schmuck” has to bear the consequences of his own bad decisions.
Jeff R
Mar. 21st, 2012 at 3:11 am
Words disappeared between writing and posting. What I wrote was…
Radio is a business and if he stops making money for the network and the stations, they’ll throw him overboard like yesterday’s table scraps.
robyn ryan
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Actually, this IS how you do it.
And the fake sympathy for the ‘innocents’? All that evil needs to win is for good people to do nothing.
Another bromide: “You get what you pay for.”
As a woman, I’d personally walk on fire to get him off the air.
PK McLively
Mar. 21st, 2012 at 11:16 pm
@t Purcell – spoken like we are done and gone.
His listening audience, I mean if it is truly up and there are questions abut the way his people calculate that, it is only because thousands of people are monitoring his shows around the country to report the names of his sponsors…
Its not over till the fat man sings(to himself as he packs his bags and leaves with wife number 5)