Quote :

"LIMBAUGH SIGNS THROUGH 2016; $400 MILLION DEAL SHATTERS BROADCAST RECORDS Wed Jul 02 2008 09:02:18 ET **Exclusive** The American broadcast industry is rocked, realigned and blasted into a new orbit, yet again, by Rush Limbaugh, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. In what is being described as an unprecedented radio contract, Limbaugh will keep his syndicated show on-the-air and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e through 2016 with CLEAR CHANNEL and PREMIERE RADIO. Already host of the most lucrative hours since radio's inception, Limbaugh's total package is valued north of $400 million, according to media insiders. The NEW YORK TIMES will claim this weekend that Limbaugh, marking 20 years this summer as a national host, has secured a 9-figure signing bonus for the new deal, newsroom sources tell DRUDGE. MORE In its controversial profile, the TIMES reports that Limbaugh is buying a new G550 jet and is making an estimated $38 million a year. [The cover photo of the TIMES Sunday magazine depicts Limbaugh 'dark and sinister' in a theme of THE GODFATHER.] While newspapers and traditional broadcast media are experiencing declining revenues, Limbaugh's golden microphone has turned diamond-laced. Earnings now pace him ahead of the annual salaries for network news anchors: Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer... combined. MORE The deal represents a stunning triumph over the establishment by an outsider who connected with and captured the spirit of the nations heartland. Developing... "

For talking on am radio. Amazing.

7/2/2008 9:40:54 AM

ugh, this means that there are enough people who believe his tripe to justify it.

I weep for america.

7/2/2008 9:50:00 AM

You know, I didn't think anyone listened to that guy anymore. I remember him back in the 90's being real popular. I had no idea that he could command such a huge salary. Good for him. Don't see how this is really discussion worthy, but what do I know.

7/2/2008 9:50:30 AM

I'm an avid listener. His show is not only "right wing radio" it is fascinatingly interesting and entertaining.

7/2/2008 9:51:11 AM

Obama should look into a Windfalls Profit Tax for radio superstars.

[Edited on July 2, 2008 at 9:54 AM. Reason : Oh... they already are: Fairness Doctrine.]

7/2/2008 9:54:03 AM

^ exactly. The Fairness Doctrine is a load of shit.

7/2/2008 9:55:59 AM

Stern still makes more. Doubt he will when they renegotiate that contract in a year though.

Both of them are overpaid, but I was hoping XM had signed Rush up. Then they could tell Mel Karmazin and Sirius to go fuck themselves with their merger.

7/2/2008 10:06:00 AM

Quote :

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

7/2/2008 10:16:13 AM

God Howard Stern sucks.

"Oh my god there's two totally hot chicks naked and having sex!


On the radio!


..."

7/2/2008 10:16:42 AM

I suppose Al Franken went broke for overestimating the intelligence of the American public?

That the way it goes?

7/2/2008 10:17:03 AM

"Plenty of people have gone broke underestimating the intelligence of the American liberal."

-Boone

7/2/2008 10:25:30 AM

^like the United States for example, underestimating how bad socialist programs would fuck up our economy

7/2/2008 10:34:08 AM

Lock this thread plz.

7/2/2008 10:36:02 AM

Quote :

"ugh, this means that there are enough people who believe his tripe to justify it. I weep for america."

7/2/2008 10:39:14 AM

^^^ In that impossible hypothetical the US would be overestimating our intelligence.

[Edited on July 2, 2008 at 10:40 AM. Reason : .]

7/2/2008 10:40:10 AM

no the US simply underestimated that the liberals were smart enough to pass their faggy legislation that redistributed wealth...its kind of a compliment...you guys were actually smart enough to figure out how to pass legislation, even though socialist programs only work in theory in fantasy land, and not in reality here in the real world...you guys were clearly not smart enough to realize that

7/2/2008 10:42:39 AM

re-fucking-diculous.

I said the same about Stern's $500 million contract, but at least he puts on a variety show. All Rush does is sit there and talk.

7/2/2008 10:46:04 AM

that's "all" he does... you know besides being one of the most influential people in America.

7/2/2008 10:47:02 AM

yeah, him and Oprah. give me a break

Quote :

"Stern still makes more. Doubt he will when they renegotiate that contract in a year though. "

and I highly doubt Stern will be back when his contract is up

[Edited on July 2, 2008 at 10:49 AM. Reason : d]

7/2/2008 10:47:44 AM

Quote :

"you know besides being one of the most influential people in America."

I would've agreed with you before McCain won the GOP primary.

7/2/2008 11:01:23 AM

yeah cause he had nothing to do with Hillary staying in the race a little longer...

7/2/2008 11:02:01 AM

Come on now guys, Howard is influential too. And about REALLY important shit. If it wasn't for him and his listeners, Sanjaya wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as he did in American Idol.

7/2/2008 11:05:52 AM

Quote :

"and I highly doubt Stern will be back when his contract is up"

whys that? where do you think he's gonna go?

7/2/2008 11:11:50 AM

Quote :

"ugh, this means that there are enough people who believe his tripe to justify it. I weep for america."

7/2/2008 11:41:54 AM

^whoops I thought that was in regards to Al Gore

7/2/2008 11:49:10 AM

it fits for him too.


Wait, what? Is it possible to dislike people on both sides of the aisle? Is it possible to despise people who play to the baser instincts and emotions of man instead of appealing to logic and reason?


You're goddamn right it is. They're both con artists, but at least Al Gore is more broadly educated and capable of putting together a complete argument, no matter how misguided. Rush Limbaugh is an intellectually sophomoric blowhard who I have yet to see convincingly argue using facts he didn't pull out of his own ass. And this is coming from a guy who has read both of his books and listened to him religiously in high school.

Then I went to college and learned critical thinking skills.

7/2/2008 11:52:27 AM

Quote :

"at least Al Gore is more broadly educated"

lolol

7/2/2008 11:55:50 AM

7/2/2008 11:58:26 AM

Lets compare lolol

Al Gore
St. Albans School 1965
Harvard University cum laude 1969
Vanderbuilt University 1971 - 1976, no degree

Rush Limbaugh:
Cape Central High School 1969
Southeast Missouri State University, where according to his mom he flunked every class.



lolol is right.

7/2/2008 12:03:35 PM

if you're talking about school education, ok fine

if you're talking about a broad range of subjects, theres no evidence that gore is any more widely educated

7/2/2008 12:05:46 PM

So how much money does a man have to have before he can no longer label his opponents as "elitist?"

Quote :

"Rush Limbaugh: Cape Central High School 1969 Southeast Missouri State University, where according to his mom he flunked every class. SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS 1970-2008"

AM I RIGHT, TREE?

[Edited on July 2, 2008 at 12:07 PM. Reason : .]

7/2/2008 12:07:02 PM

^^ Rush Limbaugh has done ONE thing in ONE field his entire life.

Al Gore has studied everything from law to divinity, has served in the armed forces, as a representative in congress, as a senator and as a vice president. I'm pretty confident that his world experiences eclipse a guy who cloisters himself behind the golden EIB microphone every day with no goal but to entertain his audience by feeding their righteous indignation and one-sided world-view.

^ Much as I despise politicians, to argue that it is an "easy" profession is asinine. It is a self-serving position, yes, but it isn't easy if you want to keep your job.

7/2/2008 12:08:31 PM

you keep failing to realize that gore feeds his own one sided world view..."hey the earth is at risk...pay me for carbon credits"...that puts them on equal grounds in my book

the real comparison would be what would happen if rush tried running for president

7/2/2008 12:09:55 PM

He'd do about as well as Romney. Probably worse.

Do you think a single moderate or democrat would vote for him?

And man, if you applied the same fine tooth comb to his words that McCain and Obama are dealing with, it'd be a train wreck.

[Edited on July 2, 2008 at 12:15 PM. Reason : .]

7/2/2008 12:14:48 PM

I'd LOVE to see Rush run for president. I'd absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. God that would be the most entertaining candidacy ever.


Look, Al Gore is a hypocritical douche bag. A lot of people are hypocritical douche bags. Rush just happens the be the douche bag in the hot seat today because he's getting paid $400m to continue being a douche bag. Sure it is the market at work, great fine, but money just makes you a wealthy douche bag.


I am just moderately disappointed but completely unsurprised, that so many people buy into the tripe that spews from his mouth. Oh well, it isn't like he's the only anchor dragging America to the bottom.

7/2/2008 12:16:05 PM

And you know he'll use this as vindication to be even louder and douchier.

7/2/2008 12:17:09 PM

Well pig in a pen can squeal all day, but he's only going to get fed if someone comes along and hears him. His audience is nowhere near its peak in the early to mid 90s and will probably never reach those levels again.

7/2/2008 12:19:16 PM

Quote :

"whys that? where do you think he's gonna go?"

Several reasons. First of all, I listen to the show almost daily, and he talks about retiring quite a bit. He has accomplished all there is to accomplish in his career. He made a career out of fucking with the FCC, and now that he is on sattelite that part of his life is over.

Second, he is getting married to a chick that is a lot younger than him. He talks about how having his schedule where he gets up at 4AM every day makes it hard to do a lot of the things with her that he would like to do. They have a HUGE house in the Hamptons, and I think he is just ready to enjoy his life with his future wife

Finally, and most importantly, when the Sirius/XM merger goes through they are going to need to cut out a lot of costs. Stern's contract ($500 million for 5 years) - along with the NFL ($220 million for 7-years), NASCAR ($107.5 million for 5-years) and MLB ($650 million for 11-years) will all need to be renegotiated. XM already has $1.46 billion in debt. If they renegotiate with Stern, it would probably have to be more in the ballpark of $100 million for them to be able to recover some of that debt. Now you tell me; would you work for $100 million when you have already been told you are worth $500 million?

7/2/2008 12:44:59 PM

Quote :

"If they renegotiate with Stern, it would probably have to be more in the ballpark of $100 million for them to be able to recover some of that debt. Now you tell me; would you work for $100 million when you have already been told you are worth $500 million?"

Well that 500 million was for 5 years, and he has to pay his production costs, salaries etc out of that too. Nobody knows what his actualy salary out of that is. Because of this I don't think the new contract would be for something as low as $100 million over 5 years. I doubt it would go nearly that low, because if they lose him they lose a ton of current subscribers.

ntm he's only 54 and I just don't see him going off the air this early in his life. He's definitely not going back to terrestrial, and he wouldn't go to XM either so the only thing left is off the air...which I just don't see. It's not like he can move on to being an actor, writer, musician or something like that. This is it for him

7/2/2008 1:21:29 PM

Does this mean i'll have to listen to even more commericals on the radio as clear channel attempts to make more money to pay Limbaugh. Honestly i barely even listen to the radio b.c i feel like 1/2 the time its is ads for used car sales, dishwasher cleaner, or McD's.

7/2/2008 1:25:08 PM

Before Stern: 600,000 Sirius Subscribers
Since Stern: 8+ Million Sirius Subscribers

I am sure if the price was right, he would stay. I just think that after the merger goes through, the debt of XM is going to make it hard for them to pay him what he is worth. Especially if he is already considering retirement in the first place.

7/2/2008 1:25:10 PM

Most people that talk shit about Rush Limbaugh's show have probably never listened to it.

7/2/2008 1:30:05 PM

I like Bill O'Reilley but i think Limbaugh is a fucking tool for the GOP

7/2/2008 1:32:12 PM

Quote :

"Most people that talk shit about Rush Limbaugh's show have probably never listened to it."

well...there is a crap load of advertisements on his show. but that's expected on terrestrial radio i guess

7/2/2008 1:34:46 PM

^^^ I have. I listened every day in high school and most of college. My distaste of him comes precisely because I listened to him.

I mean sure, if you let yourself get wrapped up in his personality and turn off your critical thinking, it is a great ego boost for a conservative. But if you start asking questions, if you read experts in many of the fields he talks about, you'll find that his arguments crumble quite rapidly. That is when he begins to sound utterly asinine.

7/2/2008 1:37:35 PM

well that and he doesn't really get into the specifics of issues etc. the whole show is "the left wingers want to blah blah" and "the libs with all their X think that X." he doesn't really offer his own ideas/solutions, and rarely does he offer those from his party...his program is just 1.5 hours of name calling and 1.5 hours of advertisements.

7/2/2008 1:44:40 PM

Quote :

"I like Bill O'Reilley but i think Limbaugh is a fucking tool for the GOP"

Are you kidding me? O'Reilly? I used to watch his show pretty regularly, but he's just an idiot. The latest video that backs me up on that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNSlpftizbE

7/2/2008 1:45:10 PM

Does anyone else remember when the media wasn't the story?

7/2/2008 1:48:09 PM

Quote :

"You know, I didn't think anyone listened to that guy anymore. I remember him back in the 90's being real popular. "

and

Quote :

"Most people that talk shit about Rush Limbaugh's show have probably never listened to it"

i've never been an avid listener, but i've tuned in enough to form my opinion that he's a douchebag.

7/2/2008 2:11:18 PM

Quote :

"ugh, this means that there are enough people who believe his tripe to justify it. I weep for america. "

7/2/2008 2:13:52 PM