Changes

== Early Years ==

== Early Years ==

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born in 1951 in Cape Girardeau, [[Missouri]].  At age 16, he chose to explore his passion for broadcasting by working as a [[disc jockey]], hosting a radio show in his hometown.  After four years, he left for [[Pittsburgh]] to work for the former [[ABC News|ABC]] owned and operated ''KQV''.  Following his work as a disc jockey, Rush briefly left broadcasting for [[business]], joining the [[Kansas City Royals]] as Director of Group Sales, and then Director of Sales and Special Events.  In 1983, he re-entered radio as a political commentator for ''KMBZ'' in [[Kansas City]].  A year later, in 1984, Rush dropped out of [[college]] after his freshman year to pursue work full-time as a disk jockey, when ''KFBK'' in [[Sacramento]], [[California]] hired him to host a talk show that reveled in controversy about conservative politics.  Limbaugh tripled the program's ratings in four years.  From there, in 1988 he went on to [[New York]] where the record-breaking national show, the ''EIB Network'', was born.   

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born in 1951 in Cape Girardeau, [[Missouri]].  At age 16, he chose to explore his passion for broadcasting by working as a [[disc jockey]], hosting a radio show in his hometown.  After four years, he left for [[Pittsburgh]] to work for the former [[ABC News|ABC]] owned and operated ''KQV'', where he used the on-air name "Jeff Christie".  Following his work as a disc jockey, Rush briefly left broadcasting for [[business]], joining the [[Kansas City Royals]] as Director of Group Sales, and then Director of Sales and Special Events.  In 1983, he re-entered radio as a political commentator for ''KMBZ'' in [[Kansas City]].  A year later, in 1984, Rush dropped out of [[college]] after his freshman year to pursue work full-time as a disk jockey, when ''KFBK'' in [[Sacramento]], [[California]] hired him to host a talk show that reveled in controversy about conservative politics.  Limbaugh tripled the program's ratings in four years.  From there, in 1988 he went on to [[New York]] where the record-breaking national show, the ''EIB Network'', was born.   

On August 1, 1988, Rush launched his phenomenally successful radio broadcast into national syndication, with fifty-six radio stations.  More than twenty years later the show is heard on nearly six hundred stations by some 20 million people each week and is the highest-rated national radio talk show in America.  Rush was awarded the "Syndicated Radio Personality" of the year by the [[National Association of Broadcasters]] in 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2005.  He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993 and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998.  Rush Limbaugh has been labeled as the savior of AM radio by broadcast industry leaders, sometimes called the "Doctor of Democracy."<ref name=doctor>[http://www.twoifbytea.com/doctor.php Rush Limbaugh, the "Doctor of Democracy"], [[Two If By Tea|TwoIfByTea.com]].</ref>

On August 1, 1988, Rush launched his phenomenally successful radio broadcast into national syndication, with fifty-six radio stations.  More than twenty years later the show is heard on nearly six hundred stations by some 20 million people each week and is the highest-rated national radio talk show in America.  Rush was awarded the "Syndicated Radio Personality" of the year by the [[National Association of Broadcasters]] in 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2005.  He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993 and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998.  Rush Limbaugh has been labeled as the savior of AM radio by broadcast industry leaders, sometimes called the "Doctor of Democracy."<ref name=doctor>[http://www.twoifbytea.com/doctor.php Rush Limbaugh, the "Doctor of Democracy"], [[Two If By Tea|TwoIfByTea.com]].</ref>