It’s hard to overstate what radio has meant to the conservative movement. You don’t have to look far to find a Republican who grew up listening to Rush Limbaugh. He inspired entire generations — elected officials and commentators, truck drivers and everyday people on their afternoon commutes.

Conservatives simply wouldn’t be where they are today without talk radio. It was a vital alternative in a media landscape long dominated by liberal media and left-leaning newspapers. Talk radio thrived despite heavy regulation by the Federal Communications Commission because it spoke to an audience mostly spurned by the cultural forces of New York and Hollywood.