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Thirty years and going strong

Thirty years and going strong

6 years, 7 months ago Mike Moyers

The EIB Network turns 30 on August 1st

Tuesday, August 1st marks the 30th anniversary of The Rush Limbaugh Show.  It marks 3 decades of a guy, with no college education, no sheepskin, and a history of failure, continuing to make the complex understandable all with half of his brain tied behind his back.

Rush Limbaugh is THE American success story.

The first time I heard Rush was on a cassette given me by the station manager of WGEM in 1988. He tossed it on my desk and said, “give this a listen.  We have the rights to pick this program up if we want to.”  WGEM was, and still is, an ABC News affiliate and Rush was in New York trying to get the program off of the ground.  So, I listened to the cassette.  And while I could hear great passion in the delivery and the message I didn’t understand a thing the guy was talking about.   So, we passed.

Fast forward 30 years.  One of the stations I manage, AM 930 WTAD, has been a proud Rush Limbaugh affiliate since November 27, 2000.  During that time I’ve experienced just about everything one can imagine in the radio world. I’ve seen major sponsors demand that their commercials NOT air inside or adjacent to Rush’s program.  I’ve had conversations with media buyers of other clients who frankly told me they were instructed NOT to buy stations carrying Rush-even though the ratings numbers of the Rush stations dwarfed those of the other stations in that given market.  I’ve had friends and acquaintances scold me for choosing to carry Rush on WTAD. 

I’ve been through all that but we’re still here.   I believe in the Rush Limbaugh message.

America’s Anchorman; Rush Limbaugh is what he says he is. He’s a gentle, loveable fuzzball who loves what he’s doing.  And Rush, now north of the age of 65, dealing with severe hearing loss, being only able to hear through the use of cochlear implants, overcoming an addiction to oxycodone and the fact that he’s a conservative, continues to hit it out of the park weekdays from 11a-2p cst.

The Rush Limbaugh Show is carried on over 600 radio stations.  His listener base is closing in on 30 million people.  He must be doing something right.

Many in the radio business give Rush the credit for bringing AM radio back from the brink of extinction, which is where it was in the late 80s.  Today syndicated daytime shows comprise the majority of the programming of AM and some FM stations across the land.  Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck are among those who have followed the Rush Limbaugh template.

Awards?   Rush was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998.  He’s won the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality from the NAB four times and dozens of others as well.

Rush is a best selling author for his books, “The Way Things Ought to Be” and “See, I Told You So.”  His most recent project is the series of “Rush Revere” books, aimed at the youth of America.  He’s written 5 of those since 2013.  And they are tremendous.

I met Rush in Austin Texas at his 20th anniversary party.  It was held at the Austin, City Club which is a small venue.  With over 600 affiliates I was expecting a mob and was wondering how they were going to pack everyone inside this plush little room.  But the gathering was small (fewer than 125 guests total) which was a very pleasant surprise.   Rush arrived at around 7pm and spent time with most everyone at the affair.  Quaid, of WTAD’s “Morning Meeting” and “The News Round Table”, and I got our pictures with Rush and had a brief conversation.  Later in the evening Rush addressed the crowd during which time he thanked terrestrial radio, his radio affiliates and the listeners for, what was then, 2 decades of broadcast excellence.  His message was delivered without notes and straight from the heart.

And now it’s 30 years and counting for the EIB Network.  WTAD is proud to have been the provider of the Rush Limbaugh Show for the past 17 years.   It’s a relationship we greatly value.  We hope you do to.

  

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