“Premier Networks, the company that syndicates ‘The Rush Limbaugh Show,’ has suspended a large chunk of the national advertising that runs on the program for two weeks, according to Radio-Info.com,” according to the Huffington Post.
“The moratorium applies specifically to a class of advertisements called ‘barter spots,’ which are normally run by local affiliate stations in exchange for the right to syndicate radio programming, such as Limbaugh’s daily broadcast. However, ‘[t]his suspension does not apply to in-program commercials provided by Premiere within any of its live news/talk programming,’ Premiere’s letter to affiliates notes.
“The move comes during a tumultuous period for Limbaugh. The conservative pundit first came under fire in late February, when he called Sandra Fluke — a Georgetown Law student who had been denied a chance to testify before a congressional hearing on contraception — a “slut.” After doubling down on his incendiary statements a flurry of advertiser defections quickly snowballed into a mass exodus.
“Radio-Info.com’s Tom Taylor offered his own interpretation of the move during an interview on MSNBC:
‘The whole temperature level of this thing is something that the syndicator and Rush himself would like to bring down. And as you say, that’s why Rush had a round of golf today.
“‘I guess they think if that advertiser’s not being mentioned on the air for two weeks, that advertiser will not get pressure for two weeks to exit Rush’s show.
“‘A lot of advertisers don’t like to be near controversial or potentially offensive programming. And they will instruct people quietly, please don’t put us there. and advertisers move in and out of this all the time. We just don’t hear about this. This one we happen to be hearing about.’”
The rest of the article is here.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
