WIBC cites station's 'long-term direction' in Rush Limbaugh drop

Indianapolis news radio station WIBC will no longer carry "The Rush Limbaugh Show" because the parent companies of the station and show decided not to renew its contract.

WIBC-FM (93.1), owned by Emmis Communications, has aired the conservative radio personality's show from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays, but the last show in Indianapolis will air July 3.

Emmis and the owner of "The Rush Limbaugh Show," Premiere Networks, announced the decision Monday.

"Premiere has been a great partner, and Rush has been an iconic part of WIBC's heritage and success," said Charlie Morgan, market manager for Emmis in Indianapolis, in a press release. "WIBC has a strong line-up of live and local personalities delivering great radio, and we will continue to be Indianapolis' home for listeners with a passion for conservative values and principles."

The press release did not say why the companies are ending the partnership.

Asked Tuesday morning for more details about what prompted the decision, an Emmis spokeswoman declined to comment further.

Morgan told the Indianapolis Business Journal the decision was not singularly driven by finances.

"It's not an inexpensive show to air, so there is a business element to the decision," Morgan told the IBJ. "But this has more to do with the long-term direction of the station."

Noting that Limbaugh's program is popular among listeners older than 55, Morgan told the IBJ that Emmis also wants to attract listeners 40 and younger.

Morgan also told the publication the shift could reel in new advertisers because some companies fear an association with Limbaugh's sometimes-controversial commentary.

Such concerns are unsurprising to Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, which covers the talk radio industry.

"They want to take Emmis in a less, should I say, political direction," he said. "There are advertisers out there that don't want to be on politically controversial shows."

Harrison said he doubts that the decision to drop Limbaugh on WIBC reflects any waning popularity among Limbaugh listenership in Indianapolis.

"Rush is still very strong," Harrison said. "There are many sponsors out there that love Rush and would flock to him" wherever his show ends up.

Premiere said it is looking for a new partner to air the show in Central Indiana.

"We look forward to announcing a new home for 'The Rush Limbaugh Show' in Indianapolis soon," said Rachel Nelson, a spokeswoman for Premiere Networks.

Nelson said the show enjoyed high ratings in Central Indiana, citing that it was the No. 1 talk show in its time slot and on WIBC in the past year.

WIBC's decision to drop Limbaugh comes amid a changing landscape for media consumption. Emmis Communications, which is publicly traded, has been hard hit by the downturn in radio advertising as listeners gravitate away from radio to other forms of entertainment and news.

Like most of its peers, the Indianapolis company is struggling to retain its listeners in every market where it has a station. Juggling station formats and offerings to find better audience fits is just one tactic the company is using.

With 23 stations, Emmis is the nation's ninth-largest radio operator based on listeners.

In the past 10 years, its annual revenue has been halved, to around $240 million. For the first nine months of its current fiscal year, the company earned $6.5 million, compared with $10 million for the same period a year ago.

The performance has investors shying away from its stock, which has fallen to around $1.80 a share from a 52-week high of $3.40.

Nationally, talk radio is making less money as well, The Wall Street Journal reported in February.

Talk and news stations generated about $1.5 billion in revenue in 2013 compared with $1.6 billion two years earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The report, in part, credited the decline to younger listeners shifting to digital media.

The Journal also noted that some national advertisers are fleeing from controversial programming, such as "The Rush Limbaugh Show."

WIBC broadcasts Fox News, Indiana University men's basketball and the Indianapolis 500, as well as news and talk show programming with a conservative leaning, such as "Chicks on the Right," whose commentary occasionally is published in The Indianapolis Star.

WIBC has added an email address and phone line to field comments and questions about dropping the show. Listeners can call (317) 684-8862 or email RushFeedback@wibc.com.

Emmis has not yet announced what programming will fill the time slot.

Call Star reporter Jeff Swiatek at (317) 444-6483. Follow him on Twitter: @JeffSwiatek.