Conservative Talk Radio and Advertising Dollars

Conservative talk radio is popular, as talk radio goes.  The audience for shows like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are the biggest that radio can offer, which means that both carrying those shows and advertising on those shows is expensive.

Why is that important?  The most recent round of problems that began on February 29, 2012, when Limbaugh's remarks about th Obama administration mandating contraceptive coverage included statements labeling Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke as a "slut" and "prostitute". He was commenting on Fluke's speech the previous week to House Democrats in support of mandating such insurance coverage. Limbaugh made numerous similar statements over the next two days, leading to the loss of several national sponsors and Limbaugh's apology on his show for some of his comments. Fluke rejected the apology as dubious and inadequate.  The tension is that while conservative talk radio has a strong and loyal audience, they are no where large enough a group for advertisers to be willing and able to risk completely alienating those who are equally vehemently opposed to the views espoused by them.  In the age of the internet, it was exceedingly easy to find out who had advertisement on Limbaugh's show, and avoid those company's and their products, as well as write to them regarding displeasure at their support of him.

How did we get to this point, where public airwaves are filled with this?  It all started in 1987 with the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine.  The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States FCC, introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced It escalated in 1996 with the Telecommunications Act, which allowed for the creation of very large radio conglomerates and thereby a national audience for radio shows.

So, if in fact Cumulus does cut Hannity and Limbaugh loose, how long before the next group that picks them up drops them?  I hope not long, because these guys need to be off the public airwaves.  Let people who want to listen to them pay for the privilege.  I hope that the majority of Americans who disagree with them communicate that to the advertisers who have supported them all these years.