What 20 Million and Rush?

I have long wondered about the 20 million listeners claim of Rush Limbaugh. Does it mean that 20 million listen every day? Or does it mean that 20 million listen every week? The answer would be enlightening.
And if there really 20 million listeners every day where to they get the time? Isn't he on 3-5 hours a day? My Lord that is a lot of people with nothing better to do or maybe 20 million people who can't do anything! :think:

I've explained this before...coming from my background working with ratings. As any statistician will tell you, you can bend numbers to say lots of things and mean little. This is the case with Rushbo.

First of all, radio ratings are an estimate that used formulas developed decades ago. Just in recent years they've gone to a more high-tech approach. The old system used 15 minute "samples"...people who wrote down on diaries that they listened to his show (recall). 15 solid minutes, that's all that counts.

The 20 million number is one that is supposedly based on a weekly cumulative audience or total number of ears that tune in. It could be the same person 5 times or a "gawker" who popped in for those golden 15 minutes and never bothered to tune in again or someone who meant Station A but put down Station B or messed up the call-letters badly that the rating's company makes their best guestimate.

Now note I say "supposedly", since these numbers of Rushbo's have been thrown aruond for years with no backing ratings data. Part of it is that radio ratings are highly guarded secrets and only the big numbers are published. Also, radio has seen a big fall in audience in all ages over the past several years, thus what was claimed in the past has no merit today.

Olbermann did a wonderful breakdown not long ago and his estimate, not far off from mine, is that Rushbo probably attracts 2-3 million listeners per day...and that's being generous. The fact that ratings are so tightly controlled, it's a game his people like to play cause it's all but impossible to prove or disprove it.

Cheers...

I thought it was something like that but I am math challenged and so couldn't work it out. Still even 2-3 million per day of people with nothing better to do is scary and who knows what demographic they come from. They could be 15 year old meth heads with family problems.
Trying to joke here but until the 20 million is expunged or better hacked to death he will seem like someone with influence.

I'd bet the same people who listen to Rushbo also watch Faux...and they average around 1.5 million viewers a night. If you look inside the numbers, many are older and more likely to listen to radio and watch the same teevee shows night after night. Those numbers are small in comparison to those who still watch the nightly network newscasts and even pale in comparison to those who are watching other cable channels.

One more thing...45 million people voted for the rushpublicans last year...even if we agree on 3 million listeners per week, that's not even 10% of the "base". But it's the noise...the squeaky wheel, that gets all the attention.

Cheers...

is that I am 66 and cannot stand the same old fare on TV. Would rather read a book or listen to music than numb my brain. Don't even watch over the air except for the local news and sometimes the 'national' news but much prefer FSTV, Link, BBC, and TCM movies. I do know that your demographic sketch is right on target but I wish it weren't so.

I may not be explaining this properly, but Rush's syndicate sells to local radio stations and throws broadcasts of the Limbaugh show in for free. The small stations get gratas content if they buy the syndicated feeds.

I read that here on the DU so it must be true, just kidd'n on that but when I read that it made it make sense to me as how so many stations air his tripe. :hi:

Peace

He doesn't "give" the show...more like the stations inherit it. His syndicator, Premier, is owned by Clear Channel, the largest broadcast corporate in the country. They're headed by boooshie "Rangers" who are the biggest distributors of his show. It's one hand scratching the other...as Clear Channel puts him on as many stations as they can to get the most "market penetration" that they then sell to agencies.

Affiliates make their money on local sales. There are 5 breaks an hour, 3 go to the network and 2 to the local station. Most stations rarely directly pay Rushbo to take his bile, or even pay much to the network...most of his money is made through the network sales and personal endorsements.

Hope that makes sense...

:hi:

When I flip through the dial on AM, just about every station has that guy. I don't listen to him but sometimes I inadvertantly land on him while searching for a traffic report.
Could it be 20 million people also searching for traffic reports or sports updates?

It would be dubious (but likely ) to include that kind of time.

I despise that asshole, and I wont listen to his bullshit, nor will I contribute to his ratings / book sales.

I hear him being listened to all over the place. Simple people looking for simple answers. They are legion.