Rush Limbaugh WRKO: Boston Station Biggest Yet To Drop Talk Show Host
Controversial conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh is being dropped by the Boston-based radio station, WRKO AM. According to RadioInsight, Limbaugh’s three-year agreement with the network is coming to an end, and it appears a renewal agreement has not been reached.
Premiere Radio Networks, Rush Limbaugh’s syndicator, released a statement regarding the contract not being renewed.
“We were unable to reach agreeable terms for The Rush Limbaugh Show to continue on WRKO. A final broadcast date will be announced in the near future. Rush Limbaugh airs daily in every measured media market in America, and we look forward to announcing exciting news for our Boston listeners soon.”
Limbaugh’s program had previously aired on WRKO, but was then switched to WXKS in 2010. The show returned to WRKO in 2012.
WRKO is the biggest affiliate to date to drop Limbaugh’s program. A Nielsen survey from earlier this year reports that the Boston market is the 10th highest in America. At this time, it’s uncertain when Limbaugh’s program will be pulled from WRKO‘s lineup, as well as if another Boston-based station will pick him up.
Rush Limbaugh loses another one: Boston’s WRKO is dropping his show from its lineup: http://t.co/VkTEVY4YAN pic.twitter.com/vpUvLsN3km
— Media Matters (@mmfa) May 20, 2015
This news comes as another station announced earlier this year that it has plans to stop broadcasting the program come July of this year. Back in April, WMBF News announced that Indianapolis’ WIBC would not renew the contract to air Limbaugh’s show. No exact reason was given as to why the contract was not being renewed, but Charlie Morgan, the senior vice president and market manager for Emmis Communications, noted that the partnership with Premiere Radio Networks was “great.”
“Rush has been an iconic part of WIBC‘s heritage and success. WIBC has a strong line-up of live and local personalities delivering great radio, and we will continue to be Indianapolis’ home for listeners with a passion for conservative values and principles.”
Premiere Networks’ president Julie Talbott concurred with Morgan’s comment.
“We’ve had a wonderful partnership with Emmis for many years, including a long history of ratings success for The Rush Limbaugh Show in Indianapolis.”
Rush Limbaugh is no stranger to controversy, and one incident in 2012 could be part of the reason why WRKO and WIBC are dropping him. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Limbaugh called Georgetown University Law Center student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and “prostitute” after she stated that birth control should be covered by her insurance. Limbaugh later apologized for his comments, but that didn’t stop a plethora of advertisers decided to stop sponsoring the popular talk show. Some of the advertisers Limbaugh lost include Sleep Train, Quicken Loans, and Carbonite.
Talking to the Indianapolis Business Journal, Morgan mentioned that advertisers have steered clear from Rush Limbaugh’s program. That may change, though, for WIBC.
“We believe this could open us up to a new group of advertisers.”
[Image via Media Matters for America]
