>From AllAccess.com: Rush Limbaugh Renews With Premiere
PREMIERE RADIO NETWORKS has inked RUSH LIMBAUGH to a new long-term deal that includes his daily show and 90-second "RUSH LIMBAUGH MORNING UPDATE" feature. PREMIERE, in partnership with LIMBAUGH, will also continue to oversee "THE LIMBAUGH LETTER" newsletter and RUSHLIMBAUGH.COM<http://rushlimbaugh.com/>. Terms were not disclosed, although in an article to be published in the NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE this SUNDAY, LIMBAUGH says that the deal is for $38 million a year for eight years plus a $100 million signing bonus. "This is exactly where I want to be, doing what I was born to do, with an amazing audience and phenomenal support from affiliate stations and sponsors," said LIMBAUGH. "I'm having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have. There's a relationship between the audience and the host here that is second to none. We're going to continue to provide Broadcast Excellence and have a lot of fun along the way." PREMIERE President CHARLIE RAHILLY said, "The RUSH LIMBAUGH Show enjoys an unprecedented platform of radio affiliates. Plus, advertisers harness the intensity of listener engagement -- no one's 'word of mouth' about a product or service delivers more impact than Mr. LIMBAUGH's. The PREMIERE team is proud to partner with Mr. LIMBAUGH deep into the next decade." CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO President and CEO JOHN HOGAN, who signed his own renewal deal this week, added, "Broadcasters of RUSH's quality come along once in a lifetime. We're privileged to continue our relationship which is unprecedented in the history of our industry." LIMBAUGH celebrates the show's 20th anniversary this AUGUST. ------------------------------ N.Y. Close To Non-Compete Ban A bill that would eliminate non-competes in broadcast employee contracts has passed both houses in NEW YORK and is awaiting Governor DAVID PATERSON's signature. The bill, A02124, the "Broadcast Employees Freedom to Work Act," says that "a broadcasting industry employer shall not require as a condition of employment that a broadcast employee or prospective broadcast employee refrain from obtaining certain employment." It originally died in the State Senate in JANUARY, but passed the Assembly a second time in MAY and passed the Senate last week. ---------------------------- Five In Congress Push For Sat Merger Conditions The pushback from CAPITOL HILL Democrats continues as the FCC continues to contemplate a proposal to approve the XM-SIRIUS merger with conditions volunteered by the two companies, reports BROADCASTINGCABLE.COM<http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6574727.html>. In a letter dated JUNE 27th, five House Democrats from MINNESOTA wrote the commissioners to register their disapproval with the condition that would set aside only 8% of the combined company's spectrum -- 4% for educational fare and another 4% to an outside entity, say, a minority, to program their own channels on the service. The legislators said 25% of the spectrum should be reserved for educational, minority and emergency-service use. Echoing a letter from a trio of senators including JOHN KERRY (D-MA), they called for a requirement that the satellite-radio receivers also be able to receive digital broadcasts from free, over-the-air radio stations. They also warned that approval of the XM-SIRIUS merger without conditions would be "to the detriment of the public interest," although the odds of an approval with no conditions are slim to none. Signing the letter were Reps. BETTY MCCOLLUM, JAMES OBERSTAR, COLLIN PETERSON, KEITH ELLISON and TIM WALZ. ******************************* * POST TO [EMAIL PROTECTED] * ******************************* Medianews mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
