Are most talk hosts employees or freelancers?

[westfield60]

This question came to mind since I always assumed Tim Conway Jr was an employee of KFI since he has a weekday gig. However on KTLK he has an informercial shlocking some useless product (probably real estate deals) and then lo and behold I was passing by KABC last weekend and guess what, there was the towel boy again on KABC shlocking another useless product. So why would KFI allow their "prized" employee out there shlocking snake oil on any two bit station (yes KABC is now a two bit station). Doesn't that almost disparage their employee and make him seem like a used car salesman (which I've always considered Timmy boy to be anyways)?

I haven't seen the likes of John Kobylt or Bill Handel on other stations selling time shares?

 

[max88]

J&K & Handel don't need the cash!

 

[Shoot From Hip]

Just about every radio station on the dial (music and spoken word) uses its personalities to do endorsements, for which they are paid over and above their salaries, as a way to lure advertisers. In some cases, this also extends to newspeople. Some talent also have the ability to do additional freelance work to further increase their income. Even news stations have used their staff employees to host call-in shows where an advertiser is the host. The lines in this area blurred years ago.

 

[SimiRadioListener26]

Tim Conway Jr. does not actually work for the stations you mentioned. I know that he hosts The Cash Daddy Show, a syndicated program that is heard on various stations (http://www.800loanmart-community.com/cash-daddy-show/). (That show is sponsored by 1-800-LOANMART, which is also a major sponsor on KFI.) Since I'd rather shoot myself than listen to sponsored programming, I'm not up to date on the complete list of syndicated shows that he hosts, but the point he is no more an employee of the stations that run those shows than Handel is an employee of any station that runs Handel on the Law. There is no conflict with KFI/Clear Channel here.

I know that when Conway worked for KLSX he hosted various weekend sponsored shows, and he worked with Dave Hardin on the syndicated Covenant Mortgage show. (These shows occasionally got mentioned on Conway & Whitman or his solo show after Whitman left, sparing me the need to listen to weekend programming to be in the know.) I know from listening to him on the short-lived Conway & Whitman podcast that after he got let go from KLSX he was still able to do Covenant Mortgage, but I haven't heard of him hosting it for years so don't know what happened there.

 

[davideduardo]

I know that when Conway worked for KLSX he hosted various weekend sponsored shows, and he worked with Dave Hardin on the syndicated Covenant Mortgage show. (These shows occasionally got mentioned on Conway & Whitman or his solo show after Whitman left, sparing me the need to listen to weekend programming to be in the know.) I know from listening to him on the short-lived Conway & Whitman podcast that after he got let go from KLSX he was still able to do Covenant Mortgage, but I haven't heard of him hosting it for years so don't know what happened there.

One of the problems of understanding this whole issue lies in the fact that the shows are not "syndicated" or "sponsored shows." They are infomercials.

Just as advertisers or their ad agencies hire talent to voice 30 second or 60 second ads, they hire talent to host 15, 30 and 60 minute infomercials. The infomercial is recorded, just like the shorter spots, and then the advertiser buys time on the stations in question to run them as ads.

Whether a talent works for a station or not... or used to work for a station and is let go, the infomercial sponsor can use anyone they want on the time that they buy. Those shows are the "property" of the advertiser.

The only exceptions lie in the policies of some stations to either not take infomercials recorded by talent that works for a direct competitor or, sometimes, not to take infomercials where competitive talent mentions their name in the show.