Ryan Seacrest Paid $60 Million to Save RadioBy Matt Kiebus Wednesday, December 01, 2010
The hardest working douchebag in Hollywood has recently signed a three year $60 million contract extension with Clear Channel radio. Which begs the question: what is this thing called “radio,” and just how desperate are they?
Remember life before the iPod and car adapters? A time without the “next” or “shuffle” buttons, when long car rides were likened to purgatory on four wheels without air conditioning? Remember when driving through small towns meant suffering through commercial-free Christian Rock?
It was a terrible time, and thank god it’s over — almost. Clear Channel isn’t quite ready to give up on lame morning talk radio and Top 40 pop hits, and they have pegged Ryan Seacrest as the savior of basic radio. Over the course of the next three years radio frequencies will be polluted with even more Seacrest, and he’ll be handsomely rewarded, to the tune of $20 million per year.
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Is Seacrest that important to radio, that he commands a salary higher than Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter? Is his radio presence really powerful enough to sway listeners from using their iPod or buying satellite? Of course not.
Now imagine his combined salary from “American Idol” and “E! News” on top of his new Clear Channel contract. It’s enough to make any American disgustingly envious.
Seriously—how hard is it to be friends with really famous people and then make a living talking about them all day?
AM/FM radio has become rather obsolete with the rise in popularity of satellite radio and Steve Jobs’ world takeover plans. The general public enjoys having the option to listen to music without commercials or uninteresting banter.
Like the newspaper industry, AM/FM radio is quickly running out of time, and barring a miracle or time machine, it’s not likely to change. Ryan Seacrest is not that miracle.
But I’m sure Seacrest thanks Clear Channel for the $60 million check. It’s like a......read more on dt death + taxes
