Report: Audacy Interested In Dana Loesch For Its Talk Stations

Audacy appears close to finding a replacement for the late Rush Limbaugh on its slate of conservative talk stations, including Philadelphia’s WPHT 1210 AM.

The Philadelphia-based company is reportedly in advanced talks to begin airing the syndicated show from National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on most of its affiliates that had been carrying the Limbaugh show. Limbaugh, who died at the age of 70 on Feb. 17 from complications of lung cancer, had been airing on WPHT and other Audacy stations during that time for many years. Since his death, WPHT has been airing the Limbaugh show with guest hosts.

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Audacy declined to comment on the Loesch rumors, which were first reported by radio industry trade publication OutKick.

Loesch signed a three-year extension with syndicator Radio America in March to continue airing from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Her Dallas-based program, called The Dana Show, has aired since 2014 and currently broadcasts on almost 200 stations. In announcing the new deal, Radio America described Loesch as “the most listened to female talk show host in the country” who has expanded “the news/talk audience to include more men and women in their 30s and 40s, something the aging format desperately needs.”

She is the only woman among the top 15 most-listened-to radio talk shows in the U.S.

Loesch is a former Democrat who worked on former President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign who migrated to the Republican side. She began writing her own column for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and then was hired to host her own show. She was a recipient of the St. Louis Business Journal’s 30 Under 30 award in 2008. She had her own television show on Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze TV from 2014 to 2017.

Most recently, Loesch served as special assistant to the executive vice president for public communication with the NRA from 2017 until June 2019. In that role, she hosted The DL on NRA TV and was featured prominently in other NRA-produced videos.

Since Limbaugh’s passing, there has been a question as to who, if anyone, would inherit his conservative audience.