Sunday, March 11, 2012

It's Called Karma, Bitch


Ninety-eight major corporations, such as Ford, GM, Allstate, and McDonald’s, have told Premiere Networks (which distributes Limbaugh and many other right-wing radio shows) that they want to advertise exclusively on “programs free of content that you know are deemed to be offensive or controversial (for example, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Leykis, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity).”

[Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, et al.] are playing to a (sometimes literally) dying demographic. Rush & Co. rate best among old, white males. They have been steadily losing women and young listeners, who are alienated by the angry, negative, obsessive approach to political conservations. Add to that the fact that women ages 24–55 are the prize advertising demographic, and you have a perfect storm emerging after Limbaugh’s Sandra Fluke comments.

As pressure grows for advertisers and radio stations to drop Rush & Co., there will be much talk about the dangers of censorship, with allies talking about a left-wing “jihad” against Rush (language his brother David Limbaugh has already used).

But the irony is that the same market forces that right-wing talk-radio hosts champion are helping to seal their fate. Advertisers are abandoning the shows because they no longer want to be associated with the hyperpartisan -- and occasionally hateful -- rhetoric.

4 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

What I want to know is -- WTF took those major advertisers SO LONG? Limbaugh and the others have been offensive FOR YEARS.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

I am just happy that there IS a line that can't be crossed. We finally reached THAT point. About a decade late for some of us but we have always been ahead of the curve. Now we get to enjoy watching this worm trying to squirm his way out of it. I hope Ophrah gets to interview him and she puts the boots to him. Take away what means the most to him - his audience and he can wither away and die on the vine. Damn, that's just good writin'.

Lazarus Lupin said...

It's a little early for fate sealing. Rush still has 20 odd million listeners. All he has to do is drop the rate for his advertising a bit and there will be bites.

Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Oh I know. He is untouchable. But for a brief second everyone knew how much of a slug he is and was. His credibility (for what it is) has taken a big hit and with it the Republican party. Women will punish the right for this in November.