“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
Problem: Spill over effect… Advertisers pull ads of anything “controversial” can hurt progressive/middle of the road programming. The best impact is by calling/writing THE LOCAL STATION.
Of course, we be doing it properly here, locally.
Curtis,
If it meant that all divisive radio shows were taken off the public airwaves I don’t know if that would be a bad thing. Especially since right wing radio outnumbers progressive radio something like 10 to 1.
The petition to get Rush off KNCO has reached 2,000 signatures. What people want is it to die down and go away. Vigilance on righteous issues is the only way to succeed, especially true against the power of the status quo.
http://signon.org/sign/take-rush-limbaugh-off?source=c.url&r_by=2927623
I don’t think removing Rush from the airwaves is any better an idea than removing Bill Maher from HBO.
The only way is for ratings to plummet and Rush just gave his program a huge share of the news cycles.
KNCO is keeping Rush on the air because there is an audience here in our county who wants him to stay.
He’s like catnip to them and who among us would deny them their right to boil away in vengeance soup?
Besides, that’s censorship, right?
Fine.
I don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh.
I have a choice in this country that some folks in other parts of the world do not enjoy.
I do very much appreciate Jon Stewart.
He is funny, smart, astute and fair.
He makes us laugh and that’s good for our health.
Stephen Colbert is edgier, but also hysterically funny.
What we need is someone like that to go on the air and build an audience.
Al Franken tried, but he was a bit too hot, like Keith Olberman.
I like him better in the Senate, he’s funnier there.
What we need now is someone very special on the left to challenge that three hour daily spot on the radio dial.
Who ever you are out there, we need you now more than ever!
For Me: FREE public airways vs. PAID subscription, is the line in the sand.
That said, cable needs some form of regulation as FOX is free and MSNBC is paid. REAL PROBLEM.
Hey Judith,
Freedom of speech should not make it so people can lie and misled the public. If you watch the testimony of Sandra Fluke, it is obvious Rush did not do his homework. He never watched it …just got his talking points from some aid. Listening to the 2way radio show KNCO did, most of the pro Rush people were sprewing Rush’s words which were lies. I do not want censorship unless it is to protect us from people who flat out lie and misled people about issues. It was sad to hear all these people calling in saying we should not pay for her to have sex. She pays for health insurance through the college plan and was speaking about the pill for people who use it for issues other than birth control. Her friend had to have her ovaries removed since she could not afford the $100 /month cost since her insurance would not cover them. Glad though Rush’s insurance will pay for his Viagra.
Kathy,
Think about it, we get lied to everyday by politicians and advertisers.
Example: “Milk does a body good.”
Not really, not for everyone.
Certainly not the cow’s body.
Or, “Use this amazing hair color and ‘wash away the gray’.”
Really?
With ammonia, peroxide and anilin dyes, all toxins, you aren’t “washing” anything, you are chemically altering the makeup of your hair and damaging skin tissue.
The idea is that if we allow censorship of the voices we don’t like, we lose the ability for everyone to exercise what ought to be our choice.
Judith,
I stopped listening to Rush because I know what he has to say is mostly bs but many don’t realize this and believe what his statements are truthful. Truth in our current case means more contraceptives equals more sex for individual woman. It means woman want their neighbors to pay for the contraception so they can have more sex. In this case it means Sandra Fluke needed condoms/ contraception in 6th grade. This issue really isn’t about a difference of opinion but responsibility of being on the public airwaves, which are a privilege and owned by us, the people.
I have posted this before and it is a looong five minutes.
Thank you Ben,
I know what he said from reading and seeing it online.
But here is where I think your argument is a little dangerous.
” . . . many don’t realize this and believe what his statements are truthful. ”
Who gets to say what anyone else believes?
I don’t believe in Christianity, Islam or Judaism.
But religious people have the right to assemble, worship, lobby and even make war with my taxes.
Very few people share my beliefs, which puts me in a minority with no tax loophole.
Like it or not that’s how freedom works.
We know very well what happens when people’s freedoms are curtailed.
Make no mistake, I think Rush Limbaugh is an ignorant swine.
But I had to develop a thicker skin than yours over the years, because I am a woman and I have been exposed to men who will think and say the nastiest things possible about women.
I have had to work for men who think it’s okay to use positions of power to harass or demean.
I watched in disgust as Anita Hill was grilled and humiliated, and Clarence Thomas got the Supreme Court seat anyway.
So it goes.
Some men are horribly misogynistic, like Rush.
It is as easy as switching the dial to shut out his noise.
That’s the best any of us can do.
Just don’t pay him any heed.
He will go away eventually.
Judith,
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think we are together on all but one point, it is society that gets to declare what is acceptable or not. As you know to well from the early days of Europeans occupying this continent until 1860′s – 1960′s women and people of color were not considered first class human beings. I would argue we still have different tiers of class for human beings. During pre-1860 in the US, was it true that only white males were first class humans beings or was it an acceptable social more by those who held power? It is the exposing of these wrongs that we can create social change which changes when we hit a tipping point. If nobody pushed back in this instance 12 million listeners would have heard this tripe and thought it was a social norm and now they don’t. Possibly they are starting to question their acceptance of such bigoted views.
“I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.
Abigail Adams 1776
http://www.thelizlibrary.org/suffrage/abigail.htm
great quote!
Okay Ben,
Define “society”.
The local advertisers are now having a field day on KNCO’s ad space for Rush. I’ll bet a cookie the rates are ridiculously low or non existent, or perhaps even for free spots later on off Rush, if only they’ll allow their name to be associated with Rush for the two weeks. I won’t mention names, as I do that enough on Facebook, along with several others who are monitoring the show, but a good picket sign would be: Ahha, the perfect sign for picketing: “This establishment supports the Rush Diet. Is that the one you are on?”
I whole heartedly doubt that any of Rush’s followers are having any second thoughts about their devotion to him, his causes or the correctness of his ideas. His message appeals to a certain class where reason has no place in a debate. Their disdain and political hatred for “liberals”, I’ll wager, remains unchanged, unless if it has grown stronger over the last week. They don’t play on a nice intellectual level; they smear, lie, do entrapments like O’keefe with ACORN, etc. They renind me of Joel Grey in Cabaret, singing, Money Money Mpney. That’s all that they seem to value.
I thought it was funny today as I was driving to work listening to swap shop and someone called in looking for something……
They wanted a list of the companies that had their advertising on the Rush show so that they, and 1300 other Nevada County residents would know who not to spend their money with……
The poor broadcaster just started trying to speak over the guy saying “email Tom at KNCO.com”.
These guys just don’t get it as the people here have very long memories, especially the women, as my wife remembers that I left my socks under the living room table (and that was 6 years ago…. LOL!!!), but she cannot remember the nice dinner I cooked for her last week….