Psychic Prediction: Rush Limbaugh’s Advertisers Will Be Back

[Ian David]

Psychic Prediction: Rush Limbaugh’s Advertisers Will Be Back
Posted on March 5, 2012 by Brian Dunning

<snip>

In the wake of yet another outpouring of popular furor over Rush Limbaugh’s offensive comments, advertisers including AOL, Sleep Number, The Sleep Train, Citrix, LegalZoom, QuickenLoans, and Carbonite, have pulled their advertising from his show. My psychic prediction is that within a month or two, they’ll all be back. Quote me on this.

It does not really require psychic powers. My job is to be skeptical of things, and among those things I’m skeptical about are media press releases. Their purpose is to garner attention, not to act in the public interest. These companies announced that they’re dropping their advertising because they want to be seen in a positive light. I’ll grant that the people at those companies may well be genuinely offended and want to do the right thing, but that’s not why decisions get made the entertainment industry when there is a lot of money at stake. I don’t know how Rush’s comments (which, by my understanding of his show, are scarcely more offensive or shocking than many of his shows) first made headlines, but my bet is that the show’s own people promoted them to get the attention.

Show business thrives on such attention — not on good will or happy thoughts. The old saying that there’s no such thing as bad PR is proven right far more often than it’s proven wrong. I don’t have the numbers on hand, but I’ll bet you anything you want that Rush Limbaugh’s listenership has been up this week. His tone is the reason that his regular listeners tune in, and anytime he’s on the front page of every newspaper and news website in the country (like this week) he’s going to have a rash of new listeners tuning in to see what all the hubbub is about.

The Rush Limbaugh show is, by a strong margin, the #1 radio show in the country. Advertisers do not let a property like that go to waste. They’ll be back after everyone’s forgotten this week’s offense.

More:
http://skeptoid.com/blog/2012/03/05/psychic-prediction-rush-limbaugh/


Let's hope he is wrong.


See also:


Hilo (Hawaii) Radio Station KPUA Cancels Rush Limbaugh Radio Show
http://hawaiinewsdaily.com/2012/03/hilo-radio-station-kpua-cancels-rush-limbaugh-radio-show/

Pittsfield (Massachusetts) radio station drops Limbaugh over remarks
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_20109247/pittsfield-radio-station-drops-limbaugh-over-remarks


Why Glenn Beck’s Show Was Cancelled [POLL]
http://mashable.com/2011/04/06/glenn-beck-leaving-fox/

Dr Laura Schlessinger Show Cancelled
http://juicytings.com/news/dr-laura-schlessinger-show-cancelled/

MSNBC pulls 'Imus in the Morning'
http://articles.cnn.com/2007-04-11/entertainment/imus.rutgers_1_don-imus-msnbc-cbs-radio?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

[auburngrad82]

1. I'll bet if you take his show off Armed Forces Radio his market share drops dramatically

Then he might NOT be the number one radio show.

I wonder how much he's getting paid by the government for the right to broadcast his show on AFR. It's paid for with taxpayers' dollars. I hope the petitions have an effect and get his fat ass booted off the government dole.

[liberal N proud]

2. Not if the consumers keep the pressure on the advertisers

That is key to bringing this monster to his knees.

Knock him down and he will never get up.

[CAPHAVOC]

6. I doubt it. About 50% of the country likes him

New advertisers will have a Boom of business from them. Maybe the ones who dropped will get a Boom from those who hate him.

[bongbong]

9. Huh?

50% likes him?

Where do you pull these "facts" from? Is it covered with santorum?

[Ian David]

10. Rush Limbaugh is the most hated news personality according to new poll.

Rush Limbaugh is the most hated news personality according to new poll.

ABC News’ “World News” anchor Diane Sawyer was the favorite news personality among a sample of people queried by the Harris Poll, while Rush Limbaugh was least favorite.

<snip>

Limbaugh, the conservative radio host, was named by 46% of those questioned as least-favorite news personality.

<snip>

Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor” anchor Bill O’Reilly and ABC’s Barbara Walters each got 15%, according to the Harris Poll.
Having respondents pick from the same names set up some interesting contrasts.

<snip>

In the least-favorite race, Limbaugh got — no shock — 66% of the votes from those saying they were Democrats. Among Republicans, Limbaugh got 24% of the least-favorite votes, finishing second to HLN’s Nancy Grace, who had 25%.

More:
http://jewishnews.sharepoint.com/Pages/16799.aspx

[unionworks]

3. counterprediction

Rush is toast.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. And if they do return, my prediction is

the advertisers will "renegotiate" their contracts for less money paid to Clear Channel. This will be a "business opportunity" more than an endorsement of Rush.

[DFW]

7. That sounds like a likely scenario

They'll want the business the advertising brings in, and they'll just use Rush's please to negotiate
downward, saying he's damaged goods, blah blah blah. Like Schwarzenegger's characters, they'll
be back (go ahead--make my day and prove me wrong!).

[el_bryanto]

5. Probably accurate

Rush will have to retire at some point, but it won't be over this. He's not going to be taken off of armed forces radio and his advertisers will come back after things quiet down.

Bryant

[lacrew]

8. A year from now, he'll still be on the air

Thats my prediction.

And at least one of the companies who pulled advertising will be out of business.

Look at some of these advertisers: Mattresses, flowers, data backup.

None of these companies have any proprietary advantage over competitors...just endorsements from talking heads. No endorsement, no advantage.