THURSDAY, JANUARY 03, 2013
Popular Radio Comedian Says Traditional Radio On Way Out – Blames Low Talent Pay
Phil Hendrie, Los Angeles syndicated talk radio show host ranted Wednesday night on his comedy radio program that radio is on it’s way out. Hendrie, who does comedy character voices on his long running show blames radio station management for cheapening radio programming.
Hendrie, a 40-year veteran of talk and entertainment radio, said radio station owners refuse to pay talent fairly and hints that online internet radio will eventually take over as traditional radio broadcasting is left behind.
Hendrie says he makes more money from his internet blog and online downloadable shows than he does from his live on air radio nightly broadcast.
Hendrie has been involved in television and movies for more than a decade and currently appears in the movie, “This Is 40.” Hendrie has also had a recurring role in the TV sitcom “New Girl,” and appeared in the movie “Last Call” Additionally he’s done voice work for the animated version of “Napoleon Dynamite.”
He also played the character “Boots” on the ABC-TV hit show “Modern Family”
His first broadcasting job was at WBJW 1440 AM in Winter Park, Fla., a suburb of Orlando from 1973–1975. From 1976 to 1988, Hendrie was a disc jockey (DJ) on AOR-format rock music stations in Utica, NY, New Orleans, Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles.
He says he’s now “totally divorced” from conventional talk radio and refuses to talk about traditional political topics any longer, calling it “garbage” entertainment, “a garbage can filled with meaningless” political talk. Hendrie says he’s never talked to anyone in radio who’s impressed him with their political opinions. In the coming year he states he’s going to talk about everything other than politics.
“That’s the leaf I’ve turned over,” he said Wednesday night. Hendrie claims he’s neither conservative nor liberal, but says current radio management tries to “squeeze blood out of a rock” by cutting salaries and programming the formulaic, tea party radio approach.
Radio is ‘no longer fun to do and there’s no money in it,” says Hendrie. “This is no way to run a business. People running the broadcasting business today don’t know what they’re doing. Either that or they are intentionally robbing talent blind. There’s no middle ground.”
He cites stations selling program time to high bidders who want to put on syndicated content with virtually no real content.
For the last 6 months portions of many of Hendrie’s comic radio shows have been available as free downloads at philhendrieradio.com and are among the most downloaded comedy podcasts at iTunes.
Hendrie’s comedy bits, including characters Jay Santos, Chris Norton, Bobbie Dooley, David G. Hall and Ted Bell are also available on Pandora
