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John Zach

G

GeorgeKramer

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I read a really good piece on him recently in Buffalo Spree Magazine.

Really cool to hear his perspective about the radio business, working as an anchor and reporter, what it is like to do morning at WBEN, etc.

So all that being said, if and when John calls it a career and hangs up his mic, who do you think WBEN envisions to replace him as Susan Rose's co-host?
 
It's a good story with some brave revelations, particularly concerning salaries. Entercom was paying Bill Lacey a strong six figure salary before they cut him and instituted a two person tag-team featuring the PD's wife and John Zach. In morning drive WBEN places in the Top 5, Persons 25-54. Zach earns "about $60 thousand." Wonder how much the PD's wife makes. Entercom and the Wenger household came out the winner on this deal.
 
Isn't 60K a little on the low side for the morning shift at a top billing station like WBEN? Or has radio pay really dropped down so much?
 
"Around 60" isn't a bad take for a guy who's 72 and likes doing radio. It's not a knock on Zach. He loves the business and knows how to do his job. Those who question the salary should take it as a reflection on Entercom, the economics of the market and the state of the business in 2012. This is Buffalo 2012 nearly 2013. The days of Danny Neaverth or Larry Norton making salaries north of 200K are over. The rule of the jungle for quite some time has been simple and direct, "Take it or leave it, there are ten guys in line behind you." Does anybody think the people WJYE will bring in to replace Chile and Hagen are going to make big dough? Hardly. Everybody's a monkey. Including PDs who answer to the GMs, and the GMs who answer to the RVPs, and up the chain of command.

If Zach makes "around 62" and it's a published figure, it's fair to guess that his partner (the program director's wife) makes about the same. Who knows, maybe a bit more, after all, equal pay for equal responsibilities, plus she could get performance bonuses. If Lacey was making $165-200k before WBEN released him and replaced him with dual anchors, Entercom saved money. But WBEN, even now being "on FM," isn't what it was five years ago and surely not what it was ten or twenty years ago. Not many 72 year olds would want to get up at 1 a.m., drive 45 minutes to work and do a morning news gig. Zach happens to be a very good fit for the station's demo. Give him credit.
 
John is a professional and a gentleman. The industry has been good to him, and him to it. He does a solid job.
 
John is a class act all the way. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
 
I have an air check of John Zach from 1964, just think of how many radio news people there were on all the Buffalo stations. Now think of how many radio news people there are today. Scary isn't it? To survive that kind of downsizing he'd have to be good!
 
Maybe John has let management know when he's leaving (after his current contract runs out?) and has nothing to hide by being so open and honest about the state of the industry, his salary, etc.
 
Why does a radio or TV person reveal his/her salary to a print person, especially Aaron Peppermint? Did AP ever let readers know how much he made working for The News? Didn't happen. Zach should have said, "my salary is my business and none of yours."
 
Wait, they didn't mention his horribly untalented son?? What a surprise!
 
Yeah, because John Zach has such clout in the Carolinas....

Let's see, Josh graduated from Medaille in 2005. So, if he was fired from Citadel in '03, he was what, 18 or 19? Assuming he worked there for more than a minute, he managed to get a gig at 18 or younger - on a station NOT owned by the people that employed his father. Apparently he wasn't THAT "horribly untalented".

He probably wasn't mentioned in the article since he's not in Buffalo. BTW, SSSKub, must be that Josh peed in your Wheaties, huh? A little professional jealousy?
 
Hahaha hardly, but think what you want. There's no way he graduated in 2005. If you're getting your info from his own profile (which I posted as a reference point) me thinks it's been a bit doctored. And if you think OM Mr. Hagar and the likes at Citadel didn't see "John Zach's son" and jump at it you're mistaken as well.

But yeah, to answer your question, I'm jealous of a career "license babysitter" ::)
 
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