Cumulus Radio announces that former GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee will host a conservative talk program, launching April 2. “The Mike Huckabee Show” will air from noon to 3pm, a spot dominated by Rush Limbaugh.
Huckabee told the New York Times that he would continue to host “Huckabee,” his weekend talk show on Fox, and hasn’t ruled out another presidential run. Huckabee said he does not expect to woo listeners away from Limbaugh, who is distributed by Clear Channel Communications. Limbaugh’s show has aired since 1988, and according to Radio Active Media, at present airs on 537 channels across the US and Canada as well as Sirius XM. Huckabee claims his show will be less ideological than Limbaugh’s—a radio show hosted by a conservative, rather than a conservative-oriented radio show. Still, Cumulus is expected to market the show as an alternative to Limbaugh’s; also one that is less expensive to own and more generally available. Clear Channel limits Limbaugh's show is limited to one station per market.
However Huckabee and Cumulus spin it, the show is likely to target the same demographics as the Limbaugh show. Ad placement service Radio Active Media lists those demographics as largely male between 30 to 49. Among its female listeners, 40% are over 60.