Rush Limbaugh, longtime conservative radio personality, died today, Feb. 17. A year ago Limbaugh did announce that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 70.
According to the Associated Press article about his death, Limbaugh started out as DJ for a radio station in McKeesport, Pennsylvania in the early 1970s. He would later start working in Kansas City in radio and later for the Kansas City Royals as their promotions director.
He would eventually return to radio and in 1988 his radio show would go nationwide. This nationwide expansion had some help from local radio station operator and personality Jim Ward.
According to Jim Ward’s obituary from March 24, 1994, Ward was a consultant for EFM Media, the show’s syndicator, and he helped in launching Limbaugh nationwide in August 1988. Ward’s local station, WARD-AM 1550, was one the first radio station’s in the country to carry Limbaugh.
In January 1990, Ward’s station would lose Limbaugh to WILK Radio. WILK has been the local radio home of Limbaugh ever since.
January 20, 1990 – The Citizens’ Voice
Limbaugh also had a syndicated television in the early 1990s. The show aired locally for a time on WBRE-TV (channel 28) following “Late Night with David Letterman” and later on WNEP-TV (channel 16) following “Nightline.”
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
