Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 11:15 AM PDT
Rush Limbaugh Denies He's in Trouble. American Express Begs to Differ.
"I want to get something out of the way here at the top. There was another Politico story that ran last night about this program and the radio stations that it is on, and is going to be on, in the future. And someday, someday I am looking so forward to being able to detail all of this for you, but suffice it to say nothing is gonna happen that you will notice. Nothing is going to change.
You are gonna be able to get this radio program on as many, if not more, radio stations down the road than it's on now, and what you're being treated to is just a public business negotiation. Negotiations have been taken public by one side of this. I thought it was done. I thought it was over with. And, folks, I would love... I mean, I love inside baseball stuff, and I would love to pass this on, but I must use proper business restraint here.
But I just want to assure you, everything's cool, and, as always, what's on the table for this program is growth."
attribution: None Specified
Nothing to see here
The controversial radio host has a $400 million contract with Clear Channel Communications which runs through 2016, and sources say the contact leaves very little in the way of an out for the media giant. In other words, even if Clear Channel were to decide that Limbaugh's drag on ad revenue had gone on long enough, they would likely have to pay him the remainder of his contract to cut him loose. A much more likely scenario has Clear Channel putting Limbaugh on its own stations in markets where Cumulus removes him and limping along for as long as possible.
But what Limbaugh is definitely NOT correct about is that "everything's cool." Since March, 2012, more than 2,600 advertisers have requested that their ads not run on his program, driving ad rates on his program to an all-time low and apparently forcing Cumulus to make a business decision that his profitability was not coming back. The Flush Rush Facebook community and #stoprush Twitter campaign have seen a torrent of new volunteers since word of the Cumulus decision broke last night. So maybe Rush is right when he says "what's on the table for this program is growth." It's just not the sort of growth he's hoping for.
On behalf of American Express, I would like to express my thanks for reaching out to us with your concern. As a result of the emails that we have received from our Cardmembers, we have reached out to our media partners to address the situation.
We value you as an American Express customer and appreciate you reaching out to us directly to help resolve this issue.
Thank you,
But if Limbaugh was inwardly dejected over losing American Express, perhaps his spirits were buoyed by a new ad that ran on KFI in Los Angeles today--for the International Quilt Festival / Long Beach 2013.
Remember, Glenn Beck was also whistling dixie not long before his show went off the rails. What Rush Limbaugh is engaging in today is only what we would expect of him--a desperate, disingenuous attempt to save face.
This exodus of advertisers is not going to end. Rush Limbaugh's value as an advertising golden boy is never coming back. He will more than likely end up on subscription satellite radio somewhere, surrounded but a shrunken circle of yes men and right wing lunatics who cheer every time he uses a racial slur or "puts women in their place."
But our public airwaves will be mercifully free of his divisive rhetoric.
If you're interested in joining StopRush, read on after the break.
Decent folks who believe in tolerance and equality are no longer powerless against Limbaugh's efforts to spread intolerance on the radio. StopRush is making a major impact by convincing advertisers on this show to withdraw their ads--and with your help we can do even more. Just a few emails, tweets, or Facebook messages a week to Limbaugh's advertisers can go a long way toward making hatred less profitable. It is our collective voice that makes us strong.
Want to do something hold Limbaugh accountable?
Join StopRush! We can use your help in the following ways:
Join: The Flush Rush Facebook community
Visit: The StopRush sponsor database
Tweet: #stoprush Twitter campaign
Fact Check: Limbaugh Lie Debunking Site
Sign: Petition to get Rush Limbaugh off Cumulus Radio
Install: ThinkContext StopRush browser extension--notifies you as you browse which companies advertise on Rush
Want to do something hold Limbaugh accountable?
Join StopRush! We can use your help in the following ways:
Join: The Flush Rush Facebook community
Visit: The StopRush sponsor database
Tweet: #stoprush Twitter campaign
Fact Check: Limbaugh Lie Debunking Site
Sign: Petition to get Rush Limbaugh off Cumulus Radio
Install: ThinkContext StopRush browser extension--notifies you as you browse which companies advertise on Rush
No comments:
Post a Comment