Occasionally, someone will leave a lasting impression so undeniable that everyone following them is compared to them. In conservative talk radio, that person is Rush Limbaugh. On Monday, Salem broadcaster Chris Stigall reiterated that Limbaugh left an unforgettable impression on the talk format and the world.
“Here’s what I have found to be true. The death of Rush Limbaugh left an indelible hole in all our hearts who loved him as a communicator and a broadcaster, and as a part of our lives for the 30 years he was doing shows,” Stigall said. “He was also this central hub. He was sort of the community watering hole, if you will, for all the Serengeti of conservatives.”
Chris Stigall said not everybody agreed with Rush, but he was the leading authority of conservatism.
“He was the McDonald’s of conservatism,” Stigall said. “Billions and billions served. Everybody else was Five Guys, Burger King, and Wendy’s. They were doing their thing. I’m not saying that they didn’t make a good product, but everybody understood that there was still McDonald’s, and Rush was McDonald’s.”
Like Limbaugh’s impact, Stigall said Tucker Carlson became a rallying point for conservatives when he had his show on Fox News.
“A lot of the conversation was driven by Tucker, his healthy skepticism, his challenging of authority, questioning conventional wisdom, and then Fox [News] fired Tucker,” Stigall added. “Yes, millions of people have followed Tucker over to Twitter, but it’s always different when someone goes to social media. There isn’t a thing anymore where people gather around.”
Stigall said the idea of appointment listening or viewing is gone. He said since Tucker’s firing, he’s heard from numerous people who miss tuning into Tucker to hear what he wanted to share.
“I’m talking about a national figure,” he added. “I’m grateful you’re here, and I do my best, but I don’t hold myself out to be those guys, and I’m not trying to be. I miss them too; I would go to them for their takes.”
Chris Stigall said there are a lot of personalities doing things for clicks, likes, and shares because that’s the only way people in broadcast media can make any money now.
“I am thrilled that the bulk of my career was before that, and in this new space that we’re in now, where everybody is like, ‘Look at me,’ I am probably never going to succeed at the level that some of my colleagues do because I don’t have it in me.”
He clarified that he doesn’t want to wake up every day and project imminent doom for his audience.
“I readily admit that’s what’s selling now, I readily admit that’s what’s getting clicks now, I readily admit that’s the way the world works now, and it’s a ride that, while I’m not getting off it, I’m coming closer to the station than I am just boarding the ride.”
