Several weeks ago, NewsTalk 790 KNST in Tucson put up a billboard to advertise Rush Limbaugh’s radio show. The text reads, “Rush Limbaugh/Straight Shooter,” and the ad is riddled with images of bullet holes. In the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 18 others on Saturday, KNST’s parent company, Clear Channel, decided to take down the billboard.
In a statement to TPM, Clear Channel, which also manages the billboard, said the ad “used the common expression ‘straight shooter’ to describe Mr. Limbaugh’s candid and direct style.” The company also said explicitly that it was KNST’s promotion department that created the ad, not Limbaugh’s show. But after Saturday, company management decided it might not be such a good idea to keep the ad up.
“Clear Channel Outdoor management in Tucson quickly elected to take down this ad - believing that discussion of its interpretation would not contribute to the desire for healing in the Tucson community,” Clear Channel said.
Read the full statement:
Starting several weeks before the recent tragic incident in Tucson, Clear Channel Outdoor had been displaying an ad campaign created by a local Tucson talk radio station to promote its broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh’s nationally syndicated radio program. This particular ad - which used the common expression “straight shooter” to describe Mr. Limbaugh’s candid and direct style — was designed and contracted for by the local station’s promotion department - not by Mr. Limbaugh’s program. In the wake of the tragedy, Clear Channel Outdoor management in Tucson quickly elected to take down this ad - believing that discussion of its interpretation would not contribute to the desire for healing in the Tucson community.
Eric Lach
Eric Lach is a reporter for TPM. From 2010 to 2011, he was a news writer in charge of the website’s front page. He has previously written for The Daily, NewYorker.com, GlobalPost and other publications. He can be reached at ericl(at)talkingpointsmemo.com
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