The quotes here are from an email obtained from : Holland Cooke Media
Down left column find: "Is your station a Rush Limbaugh affiliate? To read the strategy I sent to my client stations as the story began unfolding, Email rush@hollandcooke.com. Moments later, the robot will deliver your 2-page strategy download."
His title: "The Other Side's Battle Plan -- Advice For Stations"
Starting right off with the GOOD NEWs and BAD NEWs if you are broadcasting Rush still.
This is advice for radio stations that broadcast Rush Limbaugh -- the other side's battle plan.
Controversy? You betcha! And if you’re the affiliate, it's your controversy. Milk it.
Good News/Bad News
• Good News: Suddenly, your station is the-center-of-attention.
• Bad News:
1. That attention is only assured short-term.
2. This has probably already inconvenienced you. And phone and Email complaints are the least of it. If nobody’s shown up asking to read your Public File, they might be on-the-way. The-very-angry are well-organized. Client station GMs tell me that many of the complaints they’re fielding are from outof- market. Is your Public File up-to-snuff?
THUS His assessment of the status of RushMouth broadcasting when the 'dust settles.'
The Rush Limbaugh Show will be diminished as a result of this episode. Certainly Limbaugh’s gaffe validates the caricature our format suffers. “Rush Limbaugh” was already a Leno/Letterman-type punchline. Now, “Talk Radio” will be. The point-of-no-return was Rush’s crack about the online sex video. Even-in-jest, advocating porn earns him The Scarlet Letter to religious folk. To them, “talent on-loan-from God-uh” has been recalled by The Lender.
He has lots of interesting recommendations for you to 'take advantage' of the current 'circus.'
Jump in-front-of the parade.
Think P.T. Barnum. This is a circus. Elephants are parading down Main Street. So where would you rather be: in-front-of, or behind, the elephants? Clue: You don’t want to deal with what’s-piling-up behind ‘em.
Take your pick to interfere with as you can:
• Promote Rush aggressively…like his show is World Series game 7. “RUSH LIMBAUGH…IN-HISOWN- WORDS…TODAY AT NOON…HERE-AND-ONLY-HERE.” Why…
• New cume is sampling you, curious and/or outraged by what they’ve read/seen/heard in news coverage, like rubber-necking a highway crash. Remember, most people DON'T listen. Limbaugh’s 4-share means 96% don’t listen…until now. So…
• What else does your station do that you would like someone-who-doesn’t-normally-listen to know? Promote that in The Rush Limbaugh Show (“YOUR ACCUWEATHER FORECAST, FIRST-THINGIN- THE-MORNING, AND EVERY FEW MINUTES, THROUGHOUT THE HOUR, THROUGHOUT YOUR BUSY DAY”).
• Goal: Create what Arbitron calls “occasions of listening.”
• Kill generic, business-as-usual Rush promos. They make you sound in-denial. Instead: “DO YOU ACCEPT HIS APOLOGY? RUSH LIMBAUGH, NOON-TO-THREE…”
...and for management:
Management needs to speak…AND LISTEN
• The station manager should voice a promo. There’s no defending “slut” and “prostitute,” so the GM can say “WE’RE IN THE FREE SPEECH BUSINESS, BUT RUSH IS RIGHT WHEN HE ADMITS HE WAS WRONG.” That’s your talking point for local newspaper/TV interviews. Rush apologized.
• Incorporate caller sound bites in the promo, either excerpts from your local shows, or from a voicemail box you set up (“TELL US HOW YOU FEEL! DO YOU ACCEPT HIS APOLOGY? AT WXXX, WE DON’T JUST TALK…WE LISTEN.”).
Heck he even has advice on the 'Impact on Sales', 'What Happens Next' (eg with Cumulus now pushing HUCKABEE's show!, 'Is Rush Toast' and 'What's Your Plan B' ... see all of these below the SQUIGGLE...
BUT if you aren't particularly interested in these, though they are 'inventive.'
Here is his final summation. I truly appreciate his ability to see this so clearly. So will the Obama campaign I am sure.
Big Picture
Longer-term and way-outside-our-box, Limbaugh just used the power of radio (what Sales calls “Reach and Frequency”) to throw-gas-on-the-flames-of the Gender Gap…although 10 days of Republican-candidatesoff- message-talking-about-Reproductive Rights might have already ensured the president's re-election.
Dirty little secret: That's what Rush wants. “Four...more...years” will be a lot better for his business than having-had-to-apologize-for the last 2 ½ years of McCain/Palin bloopers...unless Rush loses his job.
Impact on Sales
• Even before national advertiser cancellations (which continue), Limbaugh's network sponsors were largely Direct Response deals ("ENTER THE PROMO CODE 'RUSH'"), because several hundred accounts already blacked-out him and Glenn Beck and other hot talkers.
• Few affiliates sell Limbaugh-specific sponsorships; but if local advertisers call to bail, offer 'em sweet terms on placement in other hours.
• This spectacle might even attract new advertisers, canny retailers who recognize that Limbaugh's show is now in-the-spotlight, if only short-term. Nick 'em good. It'll still be a bargain.
What Happens Next
• Rush isn’t used to hearing “…or else.” But after what-we-heard-him-say on-air for three consecutive days, then the flak, can there be any doubt that it came down to apologize-or-you're-fired?
• Advertiser cancellations was last week's headline (though likely to continue). This week, affiliate cancellations would accelerate the tailspin. Note how quickly those first two small-market stations made national news.
• Watch Cumulus, whose soon-to-debut Huckabee show goes head-to-head and would throw a pile of dore- mi to The Bottom Line, if Rush loses Cumulus sticks like WABC, WMAL, WLS, WJR, WBAP, et al.
• Prediction: This story is closer to the beginning than the end...unless another Japan-earthquake-size-story knocks-it-off-the-front-page. There's blood in the water. Critics call The Rush Limbaugh Show “too big to fail.” Time will tell. An angry public is now in-control, enabled by social media.
Is Rush toast?
• Show-off lawyers are probably bidding to sue Limbaugh on Sandra Fluke’s behalf. And if Premiere fires Rush, he’ll take them to court.
• If ANYBODY sues ANYBODY, the first thing that happens is called “Discovery.” Can you imagine Limbaugh sitting still for a video deposition? Or having to comply with “Request For Production of Documents?” He’d probably quit first.
What’s your Plan B?
Run the numbers now:
• Limbaugh fee to the bottom line + street value of recovered network spots – new local host salary.
• It’s a buyer’s market for talent. I get their airchecks every day.