Before Limbaugh, there was Morton Downey Jr:

[hedgehog]

Morton Downey, Jr. (December 9, 1932 – March 12, 2001) was an American singer, songwriter and later a television talk show host of the 1980s who pioneered the "trash TV" format on his program The Morton Downey Jr. Show.[1]

The Washington Post wrote about him, "Suppose a maniac got hold of a talk show. Or need we suppose?" David Letterman said, "I'm always amazed at what people will fall for. We see this every ten or twelve years, an attempt at this, and I guess from that standpoint I don't quite understand why everybody's falling over backwards over the guy."[6]

In 1984, at KFBK radio, Downey used the word "Chinaman" while telling a joke.[25] His use of the word upset portions of the sizable Asian community in Sacramento. One Asian-American city councilman called for an apology and pressured the station for Downey's resignation. Downey refused to apologize and was forced to resign, with Rush Limbaugh taking his place.[26]

Downey was sued for allegedly appropriating the words and music to his theme song from two songwriters.[27] He was sued for $40 million after bringing a stripper onto the show and calling her a "slut", a "pig", a "hooker", and a "tramp", claiming that she had venereal diseases, and banging his pelvis against hers.[28]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Downey,_Jr.

[Faygo Kid]

1. He was crude, but nobody has ever been as bad as Rush

I remember him. His influence was extremely limited; I can't remember anyone taking him seriously.

Rush Limbaugh is one of the worst persons this country has ever produced. Ever.

[AsahinaKimi]

2. I would like to throw

Michael Savage and Glenn Beck on to that pile.

[RebelOne]

6. I used to watch his show and defnitely did not take him seriously.

It was just good entertainment.

[boston bean]

12. I watched it too, can't remember anything specific

but generally, he was always pushing the envelope.

[onenote]

3. And before Downey there was Joe Pyne

Not equating him to Limpy, just pointing out confrontational radio's origins.

[11 Bravo]

5. Joe "Why don't you stick your thumb in your ear and go bowling" Pyne?

I remember watching him in High School. Clearly he was nowhere near as patently offensive as Pigboy, but he did pretty much get in on the ground floor of confrontational broadcasting.

[rfranklin]

11. Yep, Joe Pyne was the grandaddy of them all...

Joe Pyne (22 December 1924 – 23 March 1970) was an American radio and television talk show host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. He was an influence on other major talk show hosts such as Wally George, Alan Burke, Morton Downey, Jr., Bob Grant, and Michael Savage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Pyne

[Zalatix]

16. Damn, that's HARSH. Who was he talking to?

[11 Bravo]

18. It was a fairly stock phrase of his. He regularly addressed it to people with whom he disagreed.

[hedgehog]

4. Thanks for adding those other names -

some I knew, some I didn't. I think the key point is how quickly these guys were forgotten. Limbaugh doesn't have any idea how close he is to being yesterday's news!

[guitar man]

7. He was also

... the original "backwards B girl"


"In late April 1989, he was involved in an incident in a San Francisco International Airport restroom in which he claimed to have been attacked by neo-Nazis who painted a swastika on his face and attempted to shave his head.[9] Some inconsistencies in Downey's account (e.g., the swastika was painted in reverse, suggesting that Downey had drawn it himself in a mirror), and the failure of the police to find supportive evidence,[10] led many to suspect that the incident was a hoax and a plea for attention "

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. C'mon, nobody sunk to the level of Limbaugh.

This guy does it day in and day out, year after year.

Jeez.

[samfarkus]

9. I used to watch his show

shock jocks are just internet trolls on the radio
the more attention they get the stronger they become
negative attention is FAR easier to come by than positive attention.
to get positive attention you have to save someone's life or donate half your money to charity, and even then you are usually ignored.
Call someone an un-PC term, and boom.. instant press.

[Archae]

10. Downey ended his career typecast.

Typecast as an obnoxious reporter, in several TV shows and one notable movie, "Predator 2."

And he got his lights punched out by Danny Glover in that movie.

[UTUSN]

13. And before them all was Father COUGHLIN, & wish LIMBOsevic would join them all in Hades SOON n/t

[libinnyandia]

14. Imus was pretty low too.

[cynatnite]

15. Well, there is Howard Stern...

I find him extremely offensive, but he's not looking to pass himself off as a political commentator or having any real influence in the political world.

Rush Limpballs does which is why this boycott has proven effective.

[Gabi Hayes]

17. you might find this moderately amusing: downey punches Stern's Stuttering John:

[titaniumsalute]

19. There's a big difference in Rush and Stern

Stern will be the first to tell you his show is 100% comedy and schtick. You don't have to like his style of comedy but he doesn't try to pass as some moral individual who's speaking for an entire political party. In addition, he's raised three daughters and understands "fatherhood"...something Rush will never understand. Last, Stern is not hateful. Yes, in the name of comedy, he'll pick on everyone including himself. But if you listen he has no problem with gays, different ethnicities, etc.