Hard to believe, but Aug. 1 marks the 15th anniversary broadcast of “The Rush Limbaugh Show.”
Premiere Radio Networks put out a release describing Limbaugh as “the Colossus of radio,” heard daily with a nationwide listening audience of 20 million, and recalling the founding of the program in 1988 by Limbaugh and his partners in EIB, the Excellence in Broadcasting network.
The syndicator quotes statistics from Talkers Magazine that in 1987, radio had 125 talk stations; by 2002, that number had grown to 1,117.
By most accounts, Limbaugh was indeed a driving force in the huge increase enjoyed by the talk format; some have described him as “the savior of AM” for that reason.
“From a revenue perspective, Mr. Limbaugh’s program is radio’s most lucrative three hours,” Premiere stated. “It is also the most substantive, and the most entertaining.”
Limbaugh will participate in a Sunday morning NFL pregame show on ESPN this fall.
A Head Rush: Has It Really Been 15 Years?
A Head Rush: Has It Really Been 15 Years?
