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Limbaugh’s loyal fans probably don’t realize the significance of purging that law, which had been in place since 1949, but it was one of 12 events that changed how media outlets cover news and how someone like Limbaugh could burst onto the national scene so quickly.
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Radio stations that might have normally shied away from a show with such political outspokeness wouldn’t have to worry about satisfying the federal government by finding a program with an equally fiery liberal host. That meant broadcast stations that aired politically-opinionated programming would no longer be forced into presenting opposing viewpoints. In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed the Fairness Doctrine. Limbaugh came onto the national political scene at an opportune time. With a weekly audience estimated to be more than 15 million people, his personality and views shape public opinion and help set the political conversation for the nation. Cultural SignificanceĪs the most listened to radio personality in the U.S., Rush Limbaugh’s significance can’t be overstated. Limbaugh lives in Palm Beach, Florida, with his fourth wife. Several years later, he turned himself in on a warrant accusing him of “doctor shopping” in order to get prescription drugs.
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Limbaugh announced on his radio show in 2003 that he had become addicted to painkillers and would undergo treatment. Some of his hearing was later restored through an implant. In 2001, Limbaugh announced that he had lost nearly all of his hearing. He briefly attended college at Southeast Missouri State University but never graduated. Rush Limbaugh was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on January 12, 1951. His outspoken views usually make news headlines regularly, particularly in presidential election years. Host of The Rush Limbaugh Show, the politically conservative talk program that’s heard on more than 600 stations and worldwide on the Armed Forces Radio Network. He has been the host of his radio show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, since 1988. The site says he previously owned a penthouse condo in New York City.American radio personality, conservative political commentator, author and former television show host Rush Limbaugh had an estimated net worth of $500 million dollars at the time of his death, in 2021. Limbaugh holds a portion of his wealth in real estate, with a $26 million home in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to Celebrity Net Worth. See: How Coronavirus Exposed America’s Mistreatment of the Elderlyįind: Celebrities Who Are Not as Rich as You Think Limbaugh’s Real Estate Holdings His earnings skyrocketed to $85 million annually with a four-year extension of the contract in 2016. ClearChannel radio network extended the contract in 2008, for $400 million across the next eight years, or $50 million annually.
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In 2001 he signed a $285 million contract, essentially $31.25 million annually for eight years, Celebrity Net Worth reports. His salary for the show grew incrementally since he debuted on New York’s WABC-AM in 1988. His earnings peaked at $85 million a year between salary, bonuses, profit participation and personal appearance fees, says Celebrity Net Worth. Rush Limbaugh made a name for himself as one of the best-loved and most-hated radio celebrities, hosting the widely syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show on AM and FM radio stations from 1988 until his death. How did Limbaugh build his fortune and how did he spend it? Limbaugh’s Radio Earnings See: Ryan Seacrest, Whoopi Goldberg and More of the Richest Talk Show Hostsįind: Betty White, Cher and 48 More of the Richest Stars Over 70 Celebrity Net Worth says Limbaugh was the second-highest-paid radio host in 2019, behind Howard Stern. With an $85 million annual salary at the time of his death, Rush Limbaugh reached number 11 on Forbes’ list of celebrity earnings in 2020 and also ranked amongst the highest earning radio show hosts, according to Forbes.
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At the time of his death, Limbaugh’s net worth was $600 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. 17, 2021, at the age of 70 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk show host and author, died Feb. PAT BENIC/UPI/Shutterstock / PAT BENIC/UPI/Shutterstock
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