Question about pay... From an outsider to the radio/TV industry

[unverviking]

I'm just a "media" follower, I'm not in the "industry" but I watch the news everyday and read some of what the D&C has to offer and I have some questions for those in the "indusrty" about pay, etc...

How are the people that I see on TV (hear on radio) paid... Is it a base pay, hourly kinda thing or is it based on appearances ??

I know that an anchor would (should) get paid more than a reporter, since they are in front of the camera more, and give us the most information, etc..

What about those that have a dual role ?? Reporter and anchor... Do they get a different "pay rate" based on the position that they take that particular day, etc.

In the case of the Channel 8 folks. Those who were there (not many now) when they started doing the FOX 31 news, do they get more $$ because they just added another broadcast ?? More camera time, etc... I guess a good example would be Hetsko and Kuchko. They're on @ 5, 6, 10 and 11 instead of they 5, 6 & 11 as before.

Thanks to all in advance who reply...

 

[SirRoxalot]

Salary - from Latin for "Pound Salt"

> How are the people that I see on TV (hear on radio) paid...
> Is it a base pay, hourly kinda thing or is it based on
> appearances ??

It's much easier to abuse people if they're on salary, so that's the norm at most stations.

I'll let others with closer ties to your local stations expound on the rest...

 

[unverviking]

Re: Salary - from Latin for "Pound Salt"

> It's much easier to abuse people if they're on salary, so
> that's the norm at most stations.
>
> I'll let others with closer ties to your local stations
> expound on the rest...
>
Just like any other person on the wonderful "salary" pay routine...

 

[tvfriend]

Re: Salary - from Latin for "Pound Salt"

The minimum salaries for reporters/anchors at WHEC and WROC are in their AFTRA union contracts. Believe it or not, in many cases, 10 and 8 pay better than 13 because of the union scale. The minimum for AFTRA reporters at 8 and 10 hovers around $28-29K. Anchors make more. But those on contract individually negotiate their own pay. Furthermore, at 8, those under contract are required to be paid a minimum of 10% over scale.

BTW, 8's talent did not get paid more for doing more work, i.e. the pitiful FOXcast.

 

[jfc40ts]

At WKBW-TV in Buffalo, the talent is represented by NABET. The talent negotiates their own salary and the base union contract amount is subtracted from the agreed upon figure which results in a "personal services" contract in the amount of the remainder...

The upside of this arrangement for talent is that since they're at bottom scale union-wise, they don't have to pay that much in union dues. Also, if they sufficiently piss management off and their "personal services" contract is withdrawn, they at least have something to fall back on though it ain't much. Each station is different in how they do this...

 

[BobRoss]

> How are the people that I see on TV (hear on radio) paid...
> Is it a base pay, hourly kinda thing or is it based on
> appearances ??

Most of the replies have been about TV. Those replies have been pretty much on target. Some stations, however, do pay hourly. I went from a salary station to an hourly station recently, and it's nice because you actually get paid for overtime. At my salary job, 50 and 60 hour, six day work weeks were not uncommon. At my current job, there are still times when you need to work longer, but not nearly as much... and at least you do get paid for it. Our union contract also has clauses where people get paid extra for short turnaround time between shifts, working overnight hours, and other circumstances.

In radio, salary seems to be a little more commonplace. But this is one side where appearances DO make you more money. When on-air radio personalities do a remote broadcast at a business, usually that business pays the talent to be there. Which makes sense, because if you're a popular radio personality, and you're live at a business, listeners will come and likely spend money at that business. Most radio remotes are sales-driven. For the exception of news reporters and charity events, it's rare a radio station will show up live somewhere "just because." Usually the station, the DJ, and the set-up helpers are all making money on it.

In addition to the above, some personalities make money for the commercials they record. Usually anytime a DJ does a "testimonial" spot (ie. "I, John Doe from 106.2 FM, lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers!") they get paid for it. Sometimes, DJ's get paid if the commercials they voice get aired on competing stations in the market, and almost definitely if the commercial is used on stations in a different market than where it was recorded.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Re: Question about pay.

In response to your comment about radio, you're correct that a large number of radio personalities do earn extra cash from making personal appearances, like being the Master of Ceremonies at some local event or appearing on TV commercials hawking some product.
As for regular pay, it depends on one’s marketability and the company they work for.
For example someone like Brother Wease can command a six-figure salary, where a board operator is lucky to pull down 20 grand a year.

I believe the “average” salary in Rochester radio ranges from the low 20s to the mid 30s. The exceptions are people who have been on the air for many years like Tony and Dee, Chet and Beth, Lonsberry, Spezzano and a few others. And again take into consideration how many of them earn extra dough from personal apperances or making commercials.

As for radio news personnel, where they are few and far between these days, I figure their average salary is in the mid 30s. Unless you’re some kid right out of college with no experience, then that person might make somewhere in the 20s.

Public radio might not pay as much as commercial radio, unless one is in management, but personnel are offered better benefits including retirement plans, where the company will kick in a percentage of ones pay; Days off for working holidays, and a larger amount of sick time offered to an employee as compensation for the 2% yearly pay increase they "might" get.

Here is what will be interesting to watch. A few years from now, when some of these high-paid veterans retire, what will their successors make?
One can argue it depends on their value to the company. But then again instead of salaries going up, I have the feeling that many broadcasting companies will do their best to keep a handle on the bottom line. I hope my prediction is wrong. Besides many of us got into the business not to get rich, but for the love of broadcasting. But it would be nice also to make a decent living at the same time.


<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[SirRoxalot]

Less is More

> Here is what will be interesting to watch. A few years from
> now, when some of these high-paid veterans retire, what will
> their successors make?
> One can argue it depends on their value to the company. But
> then again instead of salaries going up, I have the feeling
> that many broadcasting companies will do their best to keep
> a handle on the bottom line.

You don't have to look to far to see the future. Look at WBEN in Buffalo, who cut Bill Lacy loose a few years back. They replaced his 6-figure salary with a token raise for the remaining two members of the morning show. Sources tell me that WHTT hired him for considerably less than they had been paying Dan Neaverth. I've heard that the morning show "sidekicks" at some stations are being paid hourly as part-time employees in order to avoid adding the cost of benefits to their compensation.

"Less is More" isn't just a commercial spot strategy.

 

[BobRoss]

Re: Question about pay.

> Here is what will be interesting to watch. A few years from
> now, when some of these high-paid veterans retire, what will
> their successors make?

We don't necessarily have to wait to find out. Just look at other markets where veterans have already left. In many cases, unfortunately, veteran anchors who were popular with audiences and paid accordingly are being replaced by younger talent, with much less experience, for less money. Or on the radio, they get replaced with voicetrackers from out of town... which may have talent, but don't lend much local presence to the station.

Unfortunately, there are even cases where it seems talent are being fired because they make too much money. Replacements, if any, are also younger and likely making less.

Thankfully, there have been some cases where stations (and more importantly, their corporate management) have learned you can't cut corners like that and expect to remain successful. Surprisingly, some of these cases have been within companies where you wouldn't expect it to happen. And likewise, some of the places where outgoing veterans are replaced by cheap newbies are also within some companies where you'd expect to see better.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

You Get What You Pay For.

>Unfortunately, there are even cases where it seems talent
> are being fired because they make too much money.
> Replacements, if any, are also younger and likely making
> less.
>

Your comment reminds me of the old saying “You get what you pay for.”
And in this case you’re 100 percent correct that there have been occasions where stations have let go highly-paid talent, only to replace them with 'minimum wage wonders.'

Now I’m not trying to be cruel but let’s face reality here. There are some people on the air today that sound so unprofessional. I can think of one person in particular, but I won’t mention any names, but this is what you get when hiring someone right out of college with no professional experience under their belt. And it’s not really their fault considering there are few places where young people can go for proper training. The days of small market stations, with live personnel, has gone the way of the dinosaur. At least here in Western New York.



> Thankfully, there have been some cases where stations (and
> more importantly, their corporate management) have learned
> you can't cut corners like that and expect to remain
> successful. Surprisingly, some of these cases have been
> within companies where you wouldn't expect it to happen.
> And likewise, some of the places where outgoing veterans are
> replaced by cheap newbies are also within some companies
> where you'd expect to see better.
>
That sure isn’t the case here in Rochester. I haven’t seen where any of the big three media conglomerates are moving in the direction of getting rid of their automated, voice-tracking formats and replacing them with local personality radio. When it comes down to it the only station I can think of that offers live local announcers is WGMC, which operates out of a suburban Rochester high school building. And, with the exception of a few staff members, a majority of the announcers are non-paid volunteers.



<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>