*WHY* is Rush Limbaugh still on the air?

[LaydeeBug]

When he was introduced to Armed Forces Radio, they cited a *demand* for his show.

Well now there's a DEMAND that he be taken OFF those airwaves.

*WHY* is he still there?

[pinboy3niner]

1. The WH petition got more than 27,000 signatures...and counting

The threshhold for an official response was 25,000, so the response may be coming at any time. Meanwhile, the petition remains active and you can add your signature here: http://wh.gov/X1O

There are other efforts directed at remaining sponsors and the radio stations that carry him--like this petition to radio KFI in L.A.: http://www.signon.org/sign/rush-limbaugh-5 . It currently has nearly 8,000 signatures and the new goal is 10,000.

Other news may have eclipsed the Limbaugh issue, but efforts to get his hate off the airwaves are continuing.

[Bonduel]

12. Because 25,000 signatures is nothing compared to what

he would get from the other side to keep him on. This is not difficult to figure out. He is a huge draw. He is the biggest draw on radio. These radio stations are all about money and they are making money. I never thought he would lose his job. Never. As much as I can't stand him and can't listen to him he does have a show that is very entertaining to the conservative right. He is the guy, unfortunately, who speaks for many people in this country. Many think he is the only person who speaks for them. They will fight very, very hard for him. You don't pull the numbers he does for as long as he has without building up a lot of power. He's really at the point where he has too much power. There are probably people at some of these radio stations who would love to pull the plug but never would because of the fallout.

By the way, Huckabee will get his ass kicked by Limbaugh just like O'Reilly did. I hate to say it, but Rush isn't leaving until he wants to leave.

[pinboy3niner]

13. The petition to KEEP Rush has 1,811 signatures

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/keep-rush-limbaugh-afn-radio-equally-target-liberal-entertainers-who-offend-us-dont-threaten-free/cNSg8LMv

Regardless of his popularity, public pressure is having an effect.

[LaydeeBug]

37. and you know this, how? Sniff, sniff....I smell bullshit. nt

[n2doc]

2. Because he is an indispensable tool of the 1%

What we the people want doesn't matter.

[socialist_n_TN]

31. Yep. And in a nutshell too..........

Any other talk about ratings or advertisers, etc. is just bullshit. Rush is there and will STAY there as long as he does the bidding of the masters. He could lose EVERY advertiser and, as long as he keeps his 12% or so of the crazies stirred up, he'll STAY on the air.

[Evasporque]

3. Why are HeeHaw reruns still playing...? nt

[Erose999]

8. Because Hee Haw was a great show featuring musical greats like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard?

[Evasporque]

18. No because of Jr. Samples....

[PotatoChip]

4. Good question.

I think the Rwing PTB were hoping the outrage over his vicious attacks on Sandra Fluke would blow over-

This is another issue that really ought to be kept visible. Thanks for the reminder.

[LaydeeBug]

5. I've said it before, so I will say it again: Trayvon Martin's murder saved Limbaugh's fall. nt

[frylock]

16. yep. everyone took their eye off the ball after that.

[KharmaTrain]

6. $50 Million Reasons...

Rushbo is the "franchise" for hundreds of hate radio stations around the country. Bain/Cheap Channel and Premeire Radio are paying him big money as he's the draw for their other programs and advertising. AM is a dying medium and hate radio is one of the few formats that is still drawing an audience and if rushbo goes down so does the value of all these stations.

The interesting side show is rushbo's about to get a major competitor...Mike Hucklenutz. The new show is being produced by Cheap Channel's main competitior Cumulus Radio who owns some of rushbo's biggest outlets. If he loses these stations he'll be in a world of hurt...if he isn't already.

It's like a sports team that pays big money for a "big hitter" and they play him no matter if he's hitting .300 or .150.

[melm00se]

7. because people

(not people here) tune into his show.

Listeners = ratings = ad revenue

Until/unless listeners drop (and not just "bump in the road" drop but a steady, across multiple "books", drop), stations will continue to carry him.

[Common Sense Party]

9. I thought this was obvious.

There's no accounting for taste.

We may as well ask, why is Snooki still on the air? Because there are idiots who tune in.

[Johnny Rico]

11. +1

[LaydeeBug]

14. Um...maybe YOU are the one who doesn't know how radio works.

see: bundling.

Ann Coulter's books don't get to the NYT Best Seller's List because people actually buy them. She gets there because right wing mega corps buy them IN BULK and then GIVE them away.

Or hadn't you noticed?

[justice1]

35. That might explain something, I've pondered over the years

Why is there so many right wing books, at the Everything is a $1.00 store?

[Ter]

23. Many here do too

While I don't have time to listen to talk radio these days (plus when I'm free I go online), when I was hugely into it in the 90's I prefered listening to those I disagree with. For me it was less fun is I always agreed. I liked debating.

[Junkdrawer]

10. Because the Joint Chiefs want him on AFN...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002406917

You know, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

[LaydeeBug]

15. You linked to a post you made, but there is no proof within that post at all

Are you saying the joint chiefs issued a statement? I'd love to see it.

[Junkdrawer]

20. Another post I made...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002418524

When you see a consistant pattern of behavior year after year, incident after incident, no formal statement is needed.

[LaydeeBug]

21. um...no, none of those are statements from the Joint Chiefs. But thanks. nt

[hack89]

17. Because the demand is not big enough?

Because the Pentagon does not want to get dragged into the middle of a partisan pissing contest?

Because the Pentagon does not want to piss off all those Republican politicians that vote on their budget?

[SomethingFishy]

19. Because even misogynist, racist

pill popping, pompous, pretentious, piece of shit pedophiles are afforded their first amendment rights.

[Art_from_Ark]

22. First Amendment is not the issue here

Limbaugh isn't still on the air because of the First Amendment-- he's still on the air because of what has been said before here-- he appeals to large numbers of Fred Flintstone and Archie Bunker types. Howard Stern was a radio personality who was nearly as obnoxious as Limbaugh, but he was shitcanned by his employer for his off-the-wall remarks even though he was presumably exercising his First Amendment rights on the radio.

[Shankapotomus]

24. No worries

He'll fuck up again.

[MrSlayer]

25. He does have a pretty big audience.

And he still brings in advertising dollars even after this last debacle. Plus his employers probably don't want to pay him to do nothing. He has a very large salary.

I don't think he should be on armed forces radio if there is no counter viewpoint show but I also don't think he should be thrown off the air completely. This is America, he has the right to be an asshole.

[HiPointDem]

26. dunno. i remember reading something that implied his audience and advertising revenues weren't

really that great and he stayed on the air for other reasons -- basically as a sponsored propaganda tool, through the concentration of radio ownership.

i'd offer more detail, but i don't remember where i read it. i wonder though, because i've only known one person who listened to him voluntarily. and his tv show flopped -- you'd think if he were so popular that he'd be popular on tv as well.

[LaydeeBug]

27. Yes! This sounds so familiar, and he REALLY should be off our airwaves...

I am going to approach this with tenacity this week.

[Pisces]

28. Some fools like him and support him. I personally don't care and wish MSNBC would stop airing clips

him and giving him any more attention. Cut off his oxygen supply ( attention) and he will quickly whither and go away.

[eek MD]

29. Because of the many hateful bigots that love him....

My father listens to his show religiously. I remember when I was young....Even though he was a racist bigot back then, he kept his comments (mostly) to himself. His mind has become so warped over the years, and I blame Rush (and the other rightwing idiot talk shows) for it. (Years of driving a big-rig listening to that crap would make anyone insane). Now, It's like he spends all of his time and energy railing about how "librul's" (and other words I can't say here) are ruining America.

There will always be a "market" for Rush's toxic spew, and there will always be some right-wing company that thinks they can "cash in" on the demographic that listens to him.

I'm sure that the reason he's still on is because there are people in positions of "power" with views just like my 'Pa. And they're ignorant enough that they'll fight to the death to keep Rush on the air.

[Johnny Rico]

30. Because he's very popular.

[Telly Savalas]

33. Exactly. People just can't stop talking about the motherfucker here.

In fact he gets more mentions at DU than every progressive candidate running for Congress combined.

It's no fucking wonder this country is so fucking right-wing, if the Left can't stay focused on it's own message and agenda.

[lynne]

32. Because he's making someone a boat load of money -

- He's profitable. As long as he has significant audience and advertisers to be running a profit, he'll stay on the air.

Petitions are worth squat. The people signing the petitions weren't listening to him in the first place and the advertisers know it.

[LaydeeBug]

36. again, it seems to me a learned person should teach us about BUNDLING.

Rush is NOT profitable, and I am not sure he ever has been. He has been solely funded by righturd loons for eons.

[Jamaal510]

34. Limbaugh is to the GOP

what Aaron Rogers is to the Green Bay Packers.