Market can be harsh taskmaster

Hawaii loves being first in just about anything, of course. So it was news that Hilo radio station KPUA-AM was first in the nation to drop the Rush Limbaugh show. That happened in the midst of the storm over the conservative talk radio host’s slur against the Georgetown University student’s testimony on contraception health coverage.

The second one to exit the so-called Dittohead Nation was WBEC in Pittsfield, Mass. Not exactly big media markets, and both are in the bluest of blue states, politically speaking. So El Rushbo, as he calls himself, is unlikely to be quaking in his boots.

It’s the departing advertisers, rather than the 600-plus subscriber stations, that are surely furrowing his brow — a tally around three dozen at our last deadline check.

Airlines respond to flyer responses

For airplane passengers, tighter reins on luggage fees have meant tighter packing, which has meant tighter fits in the overhead bins.

To save on the fees, many passengers have resorted to stuffing their "free" carry-on bags to the gills. And that practice often has fliers and flight attendants struggling to wedge the overstuffed bags in, over, under, alongside — wherever they can fit safely.

Now, finally, some relief: A number of airlines have or will be replacing or upgrading their overhead bins to accommodate today’s bulkier carry-on bags. Among them: United, Delta, American airlines and US Airways. Let’s just hope those bigger overhead bins don’t come with a bigger price tag for airplane travelers.