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K-LOVE FAT CAT GETTING RICH OFF DONOR DOLLARS

A

amisdead

Guest
I've long defended EMF, the corporate parent of K-Love and Air1, because the on-air product is quite good.

However, EMF's most recent filing shows that President Mike Novak, raked in a cool $463,420 in 2009. Unsettling to say the least, especially considering they beg for donations no less than three times a year. Using K-Love math, Generous Mike could sponsor more than 11,585 hours of programming each year.

EMF is a massive organization that has total revenue quickly approaching 100 million a year. They owe it to the donors to hire competent managers to maximise ministry resources, but isn't nearly $40,000 per month for one executive just a bit excessive. Non-profit ministries that rely on donor dollars to stay in operation should not be the places that millionaires are minted.

The EMF board should be embarrassed that they approved this ridiculous compensation package.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7640
 
I am sure we can equate that to monthly giving of $20 to determine how many people pay his salary.

K Love is the 8000 lb gorilla. A church here paid over $2500 for 2 announcements a day for 2 weeks. These are mentions. They also had to provide 50 concert tickets out of 1000 for a venue.

This board may recognize the inconsistency of "We might go off the air if you don't send cash." If this were a commercial facility no one could point a finger. The problem is this is non commercial and Christian based. He makes more than the President, more importantly, more than Billy Graham. Am I jealous? No. Embarrassed and appalled? Yes.

The board members are over $200,000 a year also. This still qualifies them for the ECFA. That is even worse.
 
FWIW...The salary ( $464K ) that Mike Novak allegedly makes is about 1/2 what the Salem Comm. big guys get paid...Considering that being a CEO is a 24/7/365 job, I'm thinking his pay is reasonable compensation.

On the other hand...I don't know what EMF pays it's other employees ...maybe not enough to keep them happy ???
 
The difference is that Salem's income does not directly come from donations by listeners. Salem doesn't have pledge drives nor are they a designated charity. Salem is in fact a publicly-traded company and Atsinger and Epperson are also large shareholders (owners) of Salem.

Are Salem's top salaries ridiculous? Probably so, bu it's not even a fair comparison.
 
You guys should take a glance in the Public Broadcasting group, one format above this one. You'll see it's not uncommon for the CEO of a AM-FM-TV combo in a large market makes about the same as the President of EMF. They both live off donations. They even get 8-10% of their revenue from the feds. But the major part of the public broadcasting income comes from corporate sponsorships, thus the high salary. It helps him qualify for country club membership, where he can make contacts for the big dough.

I don't know if religious broadcasters take an oath of celibacy. The ones I know are former commercial radio guys. I don't get this obsession people have with how much other people make. This is America. If you want to make a lot of money, you know what you have to do.
 
amisdead said:
The difference is that Salem's income does not directly come from donations by listeners.

Are Salem's top salaries ridiculous? Probably so, bu it's not even a fair comparison.
Click to expand...

The comparison isn't apples to apples I'll admit. But I ask you...would you work 24/7/365 for $50K/yr ?

I sure wouldn't...but for $450K/yr. maybe.
 
I pulled up Charity Navigator's 2010 CEO Compensation Study, and the median compensation for charities with $50 Million-$100 Million in revenue is just over $336,000, but EMF's Novak did earn more than anyone else in that group.

To whom much is given, much is required.
 
Re: K-LOVE GETTING RICH OFF DONOR DOLLARS

One thing though, about K-Love and Air-1, unlike commercial radio whose first responsibility is to the advertisers, and so-called "public" radio whose first responsibility is to government legislative bodies, K-Love and Air-1 are responsible first to their listeners! Both formats have absolutely great major-market level programming, and equip and maintain their transmitting facilities solidly but not extravagantly. It is clear they are providing a service that a good number of people want to listen to.

And, for the most part, they are not on the streets competing against us for ad revenue. And for all of you who think the CEO pay is too much money (its not), in this country, even today, if you want to make more money, you can and should go do so. This morning should be a good time.
 
Re: K-LOVE GETTING RICH OFF DONOR DOLLARS

ABQRADIO said:
One thing though, about K-Love and Air-1, unlike commercial radio whose first responsibility is to the advertisers, and so-called "public" radio whose first responsibility is to government legislative bodies,
Click to expand...

To be factual, public radio has no more responsibility to legislative bodies than any other broadcaster. As yesterday's news proves.
 
[email protected] said:
..........The comparison isn't apples to apples I'll admit. But I ask you...would you work 24/7/365 for $50K/yr ?
...........
Click to expand...

Sad to say, but, I know many people in broadcasting who DO work 24/7/365 for $50K/yr.
 
I would gladly take over the job of CEO for K-LOVE for $ 50k a year. The opportunity to reach that many people for the Lord is a servant's dream!
 
josh said:
I would gladly take over the job of CEO for K-LOVE for $ 50k a year. The opportunity to reach that many people for the Lord is a servant's dream!
Click to expand...

Just getting a job with EMF would be nice. I've tried a couple of times as a board op, but with the economy, there are huge amounts of qualified job seekers and they can afford to be picky.

As for being CEO for $50K, well probably not for me, but I'd settle for $75K in an area like Rocklin. Lol.
 
Let us define what "LISTENER SUPPORTED" means...........it means the listeners support the station and its efforts. SO what if Mike Novak makes all that money? The station is honest, clean, full of integrity and not trying to trick anyone.

I say if he made a million off the listeners donations, so what? He has a great product that is very expensive to run and did you note that his salary isnt even 1% of the company's expenses?
 
501(c)3's like this are LEGIT! If you looked at their obligations and all they do, it takes millions to run it, as is... These folks are accountable...
 
I'd rather see Mike Novak getting $400K considering how K-LOVE is run than some of the word of faith preachers who make millions and are accountable to nobody, or worse of all Harold Camping. :p
 
Amen......
 
[email protected] said:
On the other hand...I don't know what EMF pays it's other employees ...maybe not enough to keep them happy ???
Click to expand...

I am making under $1,800/mo gross for full time employment.
Rent for two bedroom apartments in Rocklin start at over $1,000/mo.
The benefits that they provide come at an employee cost of about $300/mo.
Can you afford to support a family here on what they pay? ???
 
The fact is that working in radio is, for most people, not lucrative. My first radio job was at a small station in what was then Market 20 (Phoenix). Our station was owned by a real-estate mogul who made a very comfortable living. I was paid $700 a month with NO benefits. BUT.. I was on the air five hours a day and had a job.

Sadly, your situation is not fair. But life is not fair. If you left today, someone would gladly take your place for the same - if not less - money. That's radio.
 
That is entirely true, its just really hard to go to work every day when he makes more in one day than I or my co-workers do in an entire month ...especially after he announces that the staff will not be getting any pay increase for the year, after all, "we all need to make sacrifices for the ministry" :eek:

Mike Novak makes more on his two week vacation than I do for a full year of work.
 
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