How Much Morning Drive Pays

When people speculate about how much the morning drive DJ makes in salary, they usually overestimate.

In August and September 1978, KZEW was interested in me joining their morning drive show. Their offer was exactly $50,000.

Two other stations also spoke with me at that time about doing morning drive for their station. One was Magic 102, and the other was an Album Rock station in Arlington that later became KWJS when Jimmy Swaggert bought it.

Magic 102 and that Arlington station both made me the exact same offer: $50,000.

I turned the offers down, but remembered the figure.

Years later, after KZEW changed owners, call letters, and it format, I had the opportunity to interview John Rody about his years on the Zoo morning show.

One of the things he actually said was, "Look, where else could I make $50,000 a year?"

Well, let's face it. There is inflation. That $50,000 I was offered in 1978 is certainly a lot more money today.

How much does morning drive pay today? I'll bet it's probably only $55,000....

While your $50K/year figure may indeed be the norm, I can share with you something you will find extremely hard to believe: There is a morning host in this market whose gross pay is indeed, right around $50,000.00. But that's $50,000 PER WEEK! Truly amazing..but accurate!



> When people speculate about how much the morning drive DJ
> makes in salary, they usually overestimate.
>
> In August and September 1978, KZEW was interested in me
> joining their morning drive show. Their offer was exactly
> $50,000.
>
> Two other stations also spoke with me at that time about
> doing morning drive for their station. One was Magic 102,
> and the other was an Album Rock station in Arlington that
> later became KWJS when Jimmy Swaggert bought it.
>
> Magic 102 and that Arlington station both made me the exact
> same offer: $50,000.
>
> I turned the offers down, but remembered the figure.
>
> Years later, after KZEW changed owners, call letters, and it
> format, I had the opportunity to interview John Rody about
> his years on the Zoo morning show.
>
> One of the things he actually said was, "Look, where else
> could I make $50,000 a year?"
>
> Well, let's face it. There is inflation. That $50,000 I
> was offered in 1978 is certainly a lot more money today.
>
> How much does morning drive pay today? I'll bet it's
> probably only $55,000....
>

> While your $50K/year figure may indeed be the norm, I can
> share with you something you will find extremely hard to
> believe: There is a morning host in this market whose gross
> pay is indeed, right around $50,000.00. But that's $50,000
> PER WEEK! Truly amazing..but accurate!
>
>
>
> > When people speculate about how much the morning drive DJ
> > makes in salary, they usually overestimate.
> >
> > In August and September 1978, KZEW was interested in me
> > joining their morning drive show. Their offer was exactly
>
> > $50,000.
> >
> > Two other stations also spoke with me at that time about
> > doing morning drive for their station. One was Magic 102,
>
> > and the other was an Album Rock station in Arlington that
> > later became KWJS when Jimmy Swaggert bought it.
> >
> > Magic 102 and that Arlington station both made me the
> exact
> > same offer: $50,000.
> >
> > I turned the offers down, but remembered the figure.
> >
> > Years later, after KZEW changed owners, call letters, and
> it
> > format, I had the opportunity to interview John Rody about
>
> > his years on the Zoo morning show.
> >
> > One of the things he actually said was, "Look, where else
> > could I make $50,000 a year?"
> >
> > Well, let's face it. There is inflation. That $50,000 I
> > was offered in 1978 is certainly a lot more money today.
> >
> > How much does morning drive pay today? I'll bet it's
> > probably only $55,000....
> >
>
It could only be Chapman or Dorsey

>
> It could only be Chapman or Dorsey
>


And we all know that there's no way KSCS would pay Dorsey that much....<P ID="signature">______________
"Right you are, Ken."</P>

Paying someone that kind of money... you have to be KIDDing me.

Offer it to me -- I'll take it! (ha)

> Paying someone that kind of money... you have to be KIDDing
> me.
>

It's not the KIND of money I'm interested in...it's the AMOUNT!

I always laugh when someone says something to me like, "that's why you make the big bucks".

My money is no bigger than anyone else's. Same size and shape.

> >
> > It could only be Chapman or Dorsey
> >
>
>
> And we all know that there's no way KSCS would pay Dorsey
> that much....
>



I'll bet Johnny Stone wasn't gettin' that... just a hunch..

> While your $50K/year figure may indeed be the norm, I can
> share with you something you will find extremely hard to
> believe: There is a morning host in this market whose gross
> pay is indeed, right around $50,000.00. But that's $50,000
> PER WEEK! Truly amazing..but accurate!
>

It would have to be Kraddick or Joyner, with the syndication profits.

Mr. Murrow, with assistance from Bingo wins the prize. No "KIDDing" indeed!!! Any wonder why he's stayed as long as he has?


> While your $50K/year figure may indeed be the norm, I can
> share with you something you will find extremely hard to
> believe: There is a morning host in this market whose gross
> pay is indeed, right around $50,000.00. But that's $50,000
> PER WEEK! Truly amazing..but accurate!
>

> > Paying someone that kind of money... you have to be
> KIDDing
> > me.
> >
>
> It's not the KIND of money I'm interested in...it's the
> AMOUNT!
>
> I always laugh when someone says something to me like,
> "that's why you make the big bucks".
>
> My money is no bigger than anyone else's. Same size and
> shape.
>
Never seen anyone split hairs over a coloquialism before.