Bongino show to air during Limbaugh time slot; Cape station is waiting on decision

Replacing conservative talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh may be impossible. But a decision on his AM radio time slot became a little clearer on Thursday -- at least for some radio stations.

Fox News contributor and conservative podcast host Dan Bongino will launch The Dan Bongino Show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time, beginning May 24. The three-hour time slot had previously been dominated by Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau native who died last month at the age of 70 because of complications from lung cancer.

Bongino's show, syndicated by Westwood One, will begin with at least 30 Cumulus stations across the country. But it's far from sweeping up all of Limbaugh's audience, which included more than 650 stations.

River Radio in Cape Girardeau has not decided yet on who will ultimately fill the time slot for its news talk station. The Rush Limbaugh Show has been a staple on KZIM KSIM, and general manager Mike Renick said they are taking a wait and see approach.

"Several Cumulus stations are adding him, but we have not made that decision yet," Renick wrote in an email to the Southeast Missourian. "We are waiting for Rush's provider to tell us who they will put in his time slot and then weigh all the options."

During the final months of his mother Millie Limbaugh's life in 2000, Limbaugh quietly used the KZIM studios to broadcast his show from Cape Girardeau.

Since Limbaugh's death, his radio show has continued with a rotation of guest hosts along with clips of Limbaugh's voice. Kathryn Limbaugh, Rush's widow, has also made guest appearances and answered listeners' questions about her late husband.