I want to talk to those of you that are Rush Limbaugh fans. You are out there, right? Rush is still the king of the world and undisputed #1-rated talk-show host, I'm pretty sure, but the past few years his popularity has waned. This is not the gospel, just my own impression and I read and explore a lot of this type of thing. He still commands a lot of attention in the so-called flyover states but even there his Rushness fervor seems to have evaporated. Again, not the gospel just an impression. And past controversy confirms this.Limbaugh used to be worth listening to, (and still is, for the most part), because of the entertainment quotient in his program. I'm negating the overt rightist political leanings and GOP bastion that defines him because that's a given. Rush will always be Rush but even his most liberal critics agree, or at one point agreed that Limbaugh's program was popular because the guy was a complete broadcaster, possessed quite a brilliant vocabulary, offered funny and snarky asides, (Philthydelphia) and knew how to move the needle, as they say in broadcasting.
Or am I missing the beat now? Which brings me back the point of this article. Who listens to Limabugh? I already know about the loyal Republican minions who still view him as the GOP messiah and he continues to garner considerable clout within that base but I'm speaking of the general public. There was a time that even those people who didn't buy Limbaugh's politics and cast him aside as nothing more than a GOP talking head still listened intently because he was interesting and provocative. Matter of fact Limbaugh used to be a daily presence in the news domain, at the top of the masthead but I don't see that these days. It's not overly-dramatic nor earth-shattering but still relevant.
A few years ago Michael Zwerling, who owns KSCO Radio in Santa Cruz and whose station carries Rush was seriously considering dropping the program but relented. He agrees with my assessment that the Limbaugh portfolio is still in the heavyweight division although greatly diminished. Even with that Zwerling said renewing El Rushbo was a no-brainer.
"We've had many interesting, very lively and contentious talk shows and even run polls on the subject, 'Would KSCO be better off with Rush or without Rush?'", offered Zwerling.
"Thus far we opted to keep Rush, even with the advertiser stigma because after all is said and done, Rush Limbaugh continues to bring in the mega-audience that tends to stick around for our other programs -- he still brings in the enormous audience and enormous audiences are what enable advertising-revenue-based businesses survive and thrive."
What about you out there--and again, I'm looking for Limbaugh fans, do you still listen with urgency or has the star diminished. Is he no longer 'appointment radio? I'd like to know.
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