It has been reported that the ratings for radio host Rush Limbaugh have plummeted recently in some markets as a result of the firestorm regarding his comments about Sandra Fluke. Fluke was called a ‘slut’ and a ‘prostitute’ because of her advocacy for birth control. These comments brought out criticism from President Barack Obama and many others in the public eye. The comments also spurred multiple advertisers to leave the show. Recently a radio CEO admitted that the comments cost him millions of dollars.
Nearly one month after he made the comments, Limbaugh had the following to say about his show, “The advertisers who hung in here are going gangbusters, yes,” he said, adding, “On the range of all 600 radio stations, our ratings are up anywhere from 10% to 60%, depending on the station.”
The report about Limbaugh’s ratings was released on Monday and it showed that his ratings fell by 27 percent in the demographic of 25-54 in New York City. In the Houston-Galveston market, his ratings fell by 31 percent. The Seattle-Tacoma market, the ratings fell by 40 percent. Jacksonville saw a decrease in ratings by 35 percent. The Arbitron ratings covered the time period from March 29 to April 25. Limbaugh’s ratings climbed in San Francisco and saw an overall spike in listeners as a result in the controversy.
One of the most vocal proponents against Limbaugh posted the following on Twitter:
Ratings info released today. Limbaugh is down in key markets…big time. I keep telling y’all: his business model is failing. Onward