Editing Rush Limbaugh (section)

===1971–1988: Early radio career===
In February 1971, after dropping out of college, the 20-year-old Limbaugh accepted an offer to DJ at [[WGBN|WIXZ]], a [[Top 40]] station in [[McKeesport, Pennsylvania]]. He adopted the airname "Bachelor Jeff" Christie and worked afternoons before moving to morning drive.{{sfn|Chafets|2010|p=32}} The station's general manager compared Limbaugh's style at this time to "early [[Don Imus|Imus]]".{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=22, 24–25}} In 1973, after eighteen months at WIXZ, Limbaugh was fired from the station due to "personality conflict" with the program director. He then started a nighttime position at [[KQV]] in Pittsburgh, succeeding [[Jim Quinn]].{{sfn|Chafets|2010|p=35}} In late 1974, Limbaugh was dismissed after new management put pressure on the program director to fire him. Limbaugh recalled the general manager telling him that he would never land success as an air personality and suggested a career in radio sales.{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=32}} After rejecting his only offer at the time, a position in [[Neenah, Wisconsin]], Limbaugh returned to living with his parents in Cape Girardeau.{{sfn|Chafets|2010|p=35}} During his time in Pittsburgh, he became a lifelong fan of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Steelers]] NFL team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_052209/content/01125104.guest.html|title=Login |work=Rush Limbaugh|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728025915/http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_052209/content/01125104.guest.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/01/transcript-rush-limbaughs-address-cpac |title=Transcript of Rush Limbaugh's Address at CPAC |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=March 1, 2009 |access-date=September 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003083609/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/01/transcript-rush-limbaughs-address-cpac/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/fanatics-brave-cold-for-titanic-super-bowl-contest-between-steelers-and-packers/story-e6frg7mf-1226000987695 |work=The Australian |title=Fanatics brave cold for titanic Super Bowl contest between Steelers and Packers |date=February 6, 2011 |access-date=January 25, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607120417/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/fanatics-brave-cold-for-titanic-super-bowl-contest-between-steelers-and-packers/story-e6frg7mf-1226000987695}}</ref>

In 1975, Limbaugh began an afternoon show at the Top 40 station [[KMBZ-FM|KUDL]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]]. He soon became the host of a [[public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] talk program that aired on weekend mornings which allowed him to develop his style and present more controversial ideas.{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=34, 35}} In 1977, he was let go from the station but remained in Kansas City to start an evening show at [[KCXL|KFIX]]. The stint was short-lived, however, and disagreements with management led to his dismissal weeks later.{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=40, 42–43}} By this time, Limbaugh had become disillusioned with radio and felt pressure to pursue a different career. He looked back on himself as "a moderate failure [...] as a deejay".{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=43}} In 1979, he accepted a part-time role in group sales for the [[Kansas City Royals]] baseball team which developed into a full-time position as director of group sales and special events. He worked from the [[Royals Stadium]].{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=45–46}} There he developed a friendship with then-Royals star third baseman and future [[List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[George Brett]]. The two men remained close friends.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toma |first=George |author2=Goforth, Alan |author3=Brett, George |title=Nitty gritty dirt man |publisher=SportsPublishingLLC.com |year=2004 |page=164 |isbn=978-1-58261-646-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l1xauXzmbvkC&q=rush+limbaugh+george+brett&pg=PA164 |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217180022/https://books.google.com/books?id=l1xauXzmbvkC&q=rush+limbaugh+george+brett&pg=PA164 |url-status=live}}</ref> Limbaugh said that business trips to [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] during this time developed his conservative views as he considered countries in those geographic areas to have lower standards of living than the United States.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/09/12/an_explanation_of_american_exceptionalism_for_vladimir_putin_and_barack_obama/|title=An Explanation of American Exceptionalism for Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama |website=The Rush Limbaugh Show|access-date=May 1, 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=May 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502061157/https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/09/12/an_explanation_of_american_exceptionalism_for_vladimir_putin_and_barack_obama/}}</ref>

In November 1983, Limbaugh returned to radio at [[KMBZ (AM)]] in Kansas City for a year. He decided to drop his on-air moniker and broadcast under his real name.{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=60}} He was fired from the station, but weeks later he landed a spot on KFBK in [[Sacramento, California]], replacing [[Morton Downey Jr.]] The show launched on October 14, 1984.{{sfn|Colford|1994|p=69}} Limbaugh began to express his political opinions in 1985 when he mocked the [[Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament]], which he considered along with the general [[anti-war movement]] to be "inherently [[Anti-Americanism|anti-US]], yet was reported as substantive and morally correct by a willing and sympathetic media".{{Sfn|Limbaugh|1992|p=30}} The [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]'s repeal of the [[FCC fairness doctrine|fairness doctrine]]—which had required that stations provide free air time for responses to any controversial opinions that were broadcast—on August 5, 1987, meant stations could broadcast editorial commentary without having to present opposing views. [[Daniel Henninger]] wrote, in a ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]'' editorial, "[[Ronald Reagan]] tore down this wall [the fairness doctrine] in 1987&nbsp;... and Rush Limbaugh was the first man to proclaim himself liberated from the [[East Germany]] of liberal media domination."<ref>{{cite news |last=Henninger|first= Daniel|date=April 29, 2005 |url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110006626 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429070116/http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110006626|archive-date=April 29, 2005 |title=Rush to Victory|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>