The Rush Limbaugh Show was an American conservative talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh. Since its nationally syndicated premiere in 1988, The Rush Limbaugh Show became the highest-rated talk radio show in the United States. At its peak, the show aired on over 650 radio stations nationwide.
Unbeknownst at the time, Limbaugh hosted the show for the last time on February 2, 2021. On February 17, 2021, Limbaugh's widow Kathryn announced on that day's broadcast that he had died at the age of 70, one year after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
After Limbaugh's death, clip shows with guest hosts (referred to as "guide hosts") were heard in the Limbaugh time slot for four months, until June 18. The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show premiered on Premiere Networks on June 21, 2021, from 12 to 3 p.m. ET.
Show airtime and format
The Rush Limbaugh Show had a format that it retained until Limbaugh's death. The program aired live and consisted primarily of Limbaugh's monologues, based on the news of the day, interspersed with parody ads, phone calls from listeners, and a variety of recurring comedy bits (some live, some taped). Limbaugh also would announce live commercials during the show for sponsors. He would also sometimes promote his own products, such as his political newsletter, The Limbaugh Letter, or his Rush Revere children's history books. Occasionally, Limbaugh featured guests such as politicians or fellow commentators.
An edited instrumental version of the Pretenders' "My City Was Gone" was Limbaugh's theme song at the start of his show's run. Briefly in 1999, Limbaugh stopped playing the song after a "cease and desist" order was issued by EMI. However, after the song's writer, Chrissie Hynde, said in a radio interview she did not mind the use of the song (she and Limbaugh had a mutual opposition to an Environmental Protection Agency plan for animal testing), an agreement was reached with EMI. The show aired live on weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time, with a number of stations (such as WHO in Des Moines) airing it on tape delay. From 2006 until his death, the program was normally taped from Limbaugh's studios near his home in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Distribution The Rush Limbaugh Show, a production of Limbaugh's company EIB Network (Excellence In Broadcasting Network), aired on a network of approximately 650 AM and FM affiliate stations throughout the United States, almost all of which broadcast the program live. During its existence, WRNO simulcasted the program on shortwave radio. Limbaugh also hosted his own online Internet streaming audio and video broadcast, through Streamlink. This broadcast was restricted to members of Limbaugh's "Rush 24/7" service, but could also be heard on some stations' streaming audio feeds. Premiere Networks, a division of iHeartMedia, the largest U.S. radio station owner, owned distribution rights to the program. The program was not heard on any stations in Canada, although stations along the northern border of the United States gave the show coverage in much of southern Canada. The show was never carried on any satellite radio service, and was one of the few nationally syndicated talk radio programs not to be featured on satellite radio. Limbaugh attributed this decision to his desire to maximize value for his terrestrial radio affiliates.
The Rush Limbaugh Show was unusual among syndicated radio programs in that it was fee-based; radio stations pay iHeartMedia hundreds of thousands of dollars (the exact amount depends on market size) for the rights to carry the show, in addition to giving up 15 minutes of daily ad time for barter advertisements and the Morning Update. The rights fees were dropped following Limbaugh's death.
An official weekend edition of the program, consisting of "best of" clips from the weekday show, entitled The Rush Limbaugh Week in Review, was launched in January 2008.
Notable guests In September 1992, then President George H. W. Bush made an appearance on Limbaugh's show. Charlton Heston called in to the show in 1995 to read from Michael Crichton's book Jurassic Park. Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on the show in November 2003 when Roger Hedgecock was guest-hosting the show.
Former President George W. Bush appeared six times on the program. The first time was during the 2000 presidential campaign. Then, in 2004, he "called in" to a live broadcast during the week of the 2004 Republican National Convention to give a preview of his nomination acceptance speech. He called in again in 2006. The fourth time was April 18, 2008, when Limbaugh asked the White House to speak with Bush to thank him for the ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI, which awed Limbaugh. The fifth call was during the show's 20th anniversary celebration, in which then-President Bush (and George H. W. Bush and Jeb Bush) congratulated Limbaugh. He appeared a sixth time for an interview regarding his autobiography, Decision Points, on November 9, 2010.
Vice President Dick Cheney made multiple appearances.
In 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called in to a live broadcast of the show a day after having called Limbaugh "irrelevant", adding, "I'm not his servant. I'm the people's servant of California," on an appearance on NBC's Today show.
Other notable guests who called in to Limbaugh's show include former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, unsuccessful Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, economist Thomas Sowell, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and television writer Joel Surnow, who took calls about events in his show, 24. In December 2006, Sylvester Stallone made an appearance on the show to discuss his upcoming movie Rocky Balboa. On February 27, 2004, actor Jim Caviezel called in to the program to discuss The Passion of the Christ, in which Caviezel played the role of Jesus Christ. Republican vice presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin (R–AK) also called into a show before a rally in October 2008 to discuss the election and the economic distortion and impact of Senator Obama's tax policy; Palin returned to the show in November 2009 to discuss her book Going Rogue: An American Life. Phil Gingrey, a congressman who compared shows such as Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to "throwing bricks" in January 2009, gave an interview on Limbaugh's show the following day.
Limbaugh also had author and Washington Times columnist Bill Gertz on his show to discuss Gertz's books as well as national security issues. In 2007, Limbaugh (among numerous other hosts) interviewed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and was the first to interview Tony Snow after his departure from his post as White House press secretary. He also interviewed NBC News host Tim Russert in 2004.Excerpts from Rush's 2004 interview with Tim Russert . In May 2010, country musician John Rich reported for Limbaugh on the May 2010 Tennessee floods.
Future president Donald Trump appeared on the show April 15, 2011, and donated $100,000 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, for which Limbaugh held an annual radiothon. On December 6, 2012, Limbaugh interviewed outgoing Senator Jim DeMint shortly after he announced his resignation from his seat to head The Heritage Foundation.Cirilli, Kevin (December 6, 2012). "Jim DeMint tells Rush Limbaugh how to fix GOP, tweaks Boehner" , Politico. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
Program staff
James Golden (as Bo Snerdley) The official "program-observer" and call screener. With other staff members, he assisted with research as part of preparation for the show and was in the control booth as the show was being broadcast. He co-hosted a Sunday night talk show, James and Joel, on WABC with Joel Santisteban from 1992 to 1998. Snerdley is a pseudonym Limbaugh invented many years earlier when he was a disc jockey on WIXZ (when Limbaugh went by the name Jeff Christy); he would use the name Snerdley for supposed-listeners who would write or call in, usually professing to be big fans and part of the "Christy Nation". Later, the name Snerdley was used for his call screeners, both male and female. The first name "Bo" was added by Golden in homage to Bo Jackson. During a show in 2004, Limbaugh was not at the microphone for the last segment of the second hour (it was only about ten seconds), and Snerdley came on instead: "This is Bo Snerdley, Rush will be right back on the EIB Network (Excellence in Broadcasting)." It was one of the rare times his voice was heard on the program before 2008. "Bo" Snerdley screened callers at the Palm Beach Florida broadcasting location and in New York City. In February 2008, Snerdley, who is black, was appointed by Limbaugh as the show's Official Criticizer of Barack Obama: "certified black enough to criticize". On the July 24, 2009, show, "Bo" was put on the air as the "Official Obama Criticizer", and spoke for roughly five minutes with Rush about the Henry Louis Gates arrest controversy. On October 16, he requested (and received) air time to air a five-minute rant that criticized NFL players, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and media commentators who opposed Rush Limbaugh's potential bid on the St. Louis Rams. Golden later joined iHeart Media as a producer. George Prayias (as Koko) The webmaster for Rush 24/7 (and its successor EIB 24/7) Web site. The nickname was given by Limbaugh when George put a gorilla suit on for a gag on Limbaugh's TV show. He is currently the Vice President of Digital for the EIB Network, which continues to this day managing the Limbaugh archives and the EIB Network's current show. Kathleen Prayias (as Cookie Gleason) Executive Producer for the EIB Network. Originally affiliated with the EIB Network since 1992, she was an associate producer on his television program (whose rights are now held by Tegna Media as successor to syndicator Multimedia, Inc.). She did research and produces all of the audio sound bites played on Rush's show. She's most known for her audio montages, such as "Gravitas". She got her nickname from Rush's television show where she played "Cookie Gleason", a take-off on Cokie Roberts. Brian EIB network broadcast engineer. Dawn Transcribed caller comments onto a computer screen to aid Limbaugh, who heard via a cochlear implant and therefore sometimes had difficulties clearly understanding callers. Christopher "Kit" Carson "Chief of staff". Also known as "H.R.", Carson was Limbaugh's first employee and screened calls when Limbaugh broadcast from New York City, among other things. Carson's role was reduced as a result of the show's departure from New York along with his own battle with brain cancer beginning in 2011; Carson died January 26, 2015. Brett Winterble A former producer. Winterble, as of 2020, hosts a local program on WBT and a national television program on Newsmax TV. After Limbaugh's death, he hosted the show himself. Altamont His duties consisted of call screening and board operations, and serving as backup when the others are out or unavailable. Left the show in spring 2006. Johnny Donovan Program announcer who sometimes voiced Paul Shanklin's parodies.
Stand-ins for Limbaugh