How Rush Limbaugh Came to Be on WBCK, Battle Creek
Rush Limbaugh-EIB Network Photo
Back in 1991, I’d been at WBCK for a little over a year doing the Mid-Day show. The Program Director, a giant and jovial guy with a big voice named Smokin’ Joe Dawson, called me into his office and said, “What do think of this guy, Rush Limbaugh? I’m thinking of putting him on WBCK”. I said, “Who is Rush Limbaugh?”
At that time, WBCK was at 930 on the AM dial. Dave Eddy was the Morning Mayor, and Tom McHale was the News Director. I was on from 10 am to 3 pm. Dave Eddy hosted “Midday Magazine” from the McCamly’s Roof Restaurant inside the Stouffer Battle Creek Hotel, from noon to 1 pm. The station was also local from 3 pm to 7 pm. Talknet came on, live via satellite after that, and the station had syndicated programming until 5:30 am. In those days it was a radical idea for a local station to put on a nationally syndicated program during the day. I was skeptical of the idea.