Limbaugh

Although it's already the top-grossing documentary this year, "Hillary's America" is receiving little media attention ... but it should.

Directed by Dinesh D'Souza with music arranged by Stephen Limbaugh III (another entertainer with Cape Girardeau ties), the movie is a must see for anyone wanting to be informed -- not only informed about Hillary Clinton, but also of early slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and political vote shifting.

I read the book after seeing the movie, because the movie had a lot to absorb in its less than two hours. The book fills in with detail ... and I recommend both.

Congratulations to Cape's best-known celebrity, Rush Limbaugh, who has been the No. 1 radio talk show host for the last 28 years. The following is a news release on Rush:

iHeartMedia Extends Partnership with Rush Limbaugh

Aug. 2, 2016

iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced it has renewed and extended its partnership with Rush Limbaugh, the most-listened-to national radio talk show host in America. Specific terms were not announced, but the long-term, multiplatform agreement reflects The Rush Limbaugh Show's status as the top program in Premiere Networks' industry-leading talk lineup of nationally syndicated properties, including continuous growth and strong performance in both revenue and OIBDAN.

Limbaugh will continue to host The Rush Limbaugh Show, which broadcasts weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. ET on more than 600 affiliates and reaches millions of listeners nationwide. In 2016, the top-rated program has experienced significant year-over-year audience growth with Persons 12+ (+27 percent), Adults 25-54 (+18 percent), Adults 18-34 (+27 percent) and Women 25-54 +(27 percent), and average quarter hour audience levels are up double and triple digits in many markets, including New York (+155 percent), Chicago (_+76 percent), San Francisco (+63 percent), Houston (+33 percent), Atlanta (+40 percent) and Miami (+50 percent) (Source: Nielsen Audio, JAN-JUN Avg 2016 vs 2015, PPM, Exact Times, AQH). Ad revenue for The Rush Limbaugh Show has also increased by 20 percent over last year, and the show continues to be the number one program in Talk radio.

"After fulfilling years, I seriously considered moving on to something else, but Rich and Bob were very persuasive," said Limbaugh. "I'm thrilled to be continuing. And I really want to be on the air if the Russians find Hillary's emails."

"As Rush celebrates his 28th anniversary in national syndication, his commitment to broadcasting excellence has never been more evident," said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia Inc. "The Rush Limbaugh Show is stronger than ever, experiencing continued ad sales growth and its highest audience levels of the past decade."

About Rush Limbaugh

Known as the pioneer of national AM radio, Limbaugh is widely credited as the media pundit who reshaped the political landscape via talk radio by making complex topics uniquely understandable and entertaining. In 1988, Limbaugh and his partners founded EIB, the Excellence in Broadcasting network, launching his phenomenally successful radio broadcast into national syndication on August, 1987, debuting with 56 radio stations. In just a few months, and additional 100 affiliates were added, paving the way for the expansion of the talk-radio format. Incredibly remarkable in any industry, Limbaugh has remained the leading talk-radio host in the United States since the early 1990s and continues to dominate.

In addition to his daily radio show, Limbaugh continues to engage millions of loyal fans via The Limbaugh Letter, a subscription-based monthly print and digital companion to the radio broadcast now in its 25th year, as well as the popular Rush 24/7 subscription service, an extension of RushLimbaugh.com that is available on mobile applications for iPhone and Android devices. His decades-long career inspired the development of alternative media across multiple platforms, which had previously been nonexistent.

Limbaugh has been recognized by the National Association of Broadcasters with five Marconi Awards for "syndicated Radio Personality of the Year," tying for the most wins ever in the category (1992, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2014). He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Hall of Famous Missourians in 2012.

Although not often discussed or recognized publicly, Limbaugh is one of the most generous celebrities in the country, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to numerous causes -- from organizations that help the families of fallen United States Military personnel, to foundations that care for children facing extreme medical challenges. Limbaugh spends countless hours behind the scenes providing personal contributions to families and strangers encountering difficulties and hardships in their lives. He has made a significant positive difference in the lives of many.

This year marked The Rush Limbaugh Show's 26th annual on-air Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Cure-A-Thon. To date, Limbaugh and his audience have collectively raised more than $47 million dollars for the not-for-profit organization, helping provide much-needed research and support of individuals and families affected by blood cancer diseases.

Limbaugh, the best-selling author of "The Way Things Ought To Be" and "See, I told You So" -- which have sold nearly 10 million copies to date -- recently expanded his readership to a younger demographic. Realizing there was a real void for non-political, accurate, patriotic American history Limbaugh and his wife Kathryn co-wrote four No. 1 New York Times Bestselling time-travel adventures geared toward 8- to 12-year-olds. Upon debut, this series instantly became hugely popular and Limbaugh was awarded "Author of the Year" at the Children's Choice Book Awards in 2014. The Adventures of Rush Revere Series uses the magic of time travel to take the reader back in time to experience key events and meet exceptional Americans, such as Ben Franklin and George Washington. Students, teachers and parents worldwide, from all backgrounds, ages, and demographics, send in thousands of emails and photos praising the series and how their children have a newfound love for American history and reading. The books have received five stars across the board in many mainstream reviews and are approved on the Accelerated Reader List.

Thousands of copies of the books are donated to libraries, schools, homeschool conferences and other initiatives each year, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, benefiting the surviving families of our fallen soldiers and first responders. (End of news release)

Congratulations, Rush ... My favorite radio program.

Gary Rust is chairman of the board of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian, as well as a member of the editorial board.