Pentagon Retreats, Says It Is Considering Airing Limbaugh

The Pentagon said Thursday that it is considering carrying conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s radio and TV shows on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, two days after a military spokeswoman had said the troops are not interested.

Spokeswoman Kathleen deLaski had said Tuesday that the service did not carry the shows because of a lack of demand. She cited a recent survey of military listeners that found “at least for the Rush Limbaugh TV show, only 0.02% of them wanted it. . . .. only 3.9% asked for any talk radio show at all.”

The Pentagon issued a statement Thursday saying that “we would like to correct the record.”

One new number was higher, but still small.

The Pentagon said 0.2% of the 50,000 surveyed had indicated a desire for the TV show. A total of 3.9%, asked what could make AFRTS radio more entertaining, answered “more talk radio-Rush Limbaugh-Paul Harvey.”

Defense Secretary Les Aspin called Limbaugh on Wednesday night, a Pentagon spokesman said, to let him know that “despite some of the reporting that had gone on,” there was nothing political about decisions on airing his show.

“We’re negotiating with the Rush Limbaugh staff to see if we can work something out here,” said Navy Capt. Michael Doubleday, a Pentagon spokesman.

The absence of Limbaugh’s program from the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service became an issue when Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) complained that the military was cut off from the radio and television broadcasts.

Limbaugh referred to the Pentagon shift on his television show Wednesday. “They have done a total mea culpa . They got it all wrong,” he said.

He said it was ironic that his show, which honors men and women in uniform, was excluded from the military airwaves. “For us to be told we somehow are not wanted by these people or that we’re not valued is not right and we’re not gonna let it stand.”