Although Politico cautions along with "industry insiders" that rumors of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity's dumping by Cumulus Media (40+ stations) remain in the scuttlebutt stage, they're looking uncommonly hopeful. "Cumulus has decided that it will not renew its contracts with either host, the source said," or rather a source said.
Better and broader yet, Media Matters writes:
Cumulus isn't the only radio company reporting financial losses associated with Limbaugh's show either; other radio companies have also reported significant losses directly attributable to either Limbaugh's show or the intensifying advertiser fallout.
Noam Pattiz, CEO of Courtside Entertainment, best summarized the industry wide [post-Fluke] effect, noting that a "tremendous chunk of advertising revenue was wiped out in terms of support for national talk radio programs." Pattiz added that "the movement in talk radio to some degree is moving away from conservative talk radio and into other genres [namely, sports]."
On the other hand, continues Politico, "Cumulus is also expected to move some of its existing talent--which includes Mike Huckabee, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage--into one of the [Limbaugh/Hannity] slots."
Granted, that would still leave dozens of stations one Limbaugh and Hannity short, yet I'm sure that Levin and Savage, especially, would he delighted to compensate for any vileness deficit.
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