• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Tom Leykis has turned into a tele-evangelist

It’s amazing at how quickly the Tom Leykis podcast is turning into TBN.

Not a single day goes by now when you don’t have brother Leykis pounding the pulpit threatening that he will be off the air if he doesn't get more money and advertisers. All the while he is driving his Tesla to his Santa Barbara ranch. Just funny how he really has turned into the classic televangelist who he loves to mock.
 
westfield60 said:
It’s amazing at how quickly the Tom Leykis podcast is turning into TBN.

Not a single day goes by now when you don’t have brother Leykis pounding the pulpit threatening that he will be off the air if he doesn't get more money and advertisers. All the while he is driving his Tesla to his Santa Barbara ranch. Just funny how he really has turned into the classic televangelist who he loves to mock.

I remember when he used to be relevant.
 
It's a lot different to be off of the air without receiving a kushy check from CBS paying out the rest of your contract while you sip expensive wine in the Santa Ynez mountains 'eh Tommy Boy?
Welcome to the new normal, Tom.

Take me out with a Kobe and a thank you Jesus.
 
westfield60 said:
It’s amazing at how quickly the Tom Leykis podcast is turning into TBN.

Not a single day goes by now when you don’t have brother Leykis pounding the pulpit threatening that he will be off the air if he doesn't get more money and advertisers. All the while he is driving his Tesla to his Santa Barbara ranch. Just funny how he really has turned into the classic televangelist who he loves to mock.
You seem to miss the crucial difference that the Christian faith those televangelists preach is supposed to be "anti-greed" (see the Sermon on the Mount), whereas Leykis has always been openly greedy. (He used to joke that his middle initial, J, stood for "Just pay me.") And anyway, I don't think he's doing this podcast network for the money or treating it as his personal cash cow. He is well-known as a savvy investor and has always been about managing one's money responsibly, so whatever extra dough he could squeeze out of this network would probably be paltry compared to what he's worth. I'm just speculating about his financial solvency, of course. Maybe Tom lost everything on the stock market for all I know, but I doubt it.
 
SimiRadioListener26 said:
I don't think he's doing this podcast network for the money or treating it as his personal cash cow.

So, this is his hobby?
 
westfield60 said:
comet said:
Calling Brother Whitman!

Heeeeeeer you gooooooo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crzrQOmKaSk
Ha ha! I thought that video was taken down years ago.

radio-darn said:
SimiRadioListener26 said:
I don't think he's doing this podcast network for the money or treating it as his personal cash cow.

So, this is his hobby?
Well, he's always loved the sound of his own voice, and he doesn't have a pulpit in traditional radio anymore because he's too prideful to take a pay cut. (I've heard him rant that he refuses to take a lower salary so that radio executives can afford cushy retirements.) I really don't think he's making that much money from Internet radio, certainly not anywhere near what he earned in traditional radio, so I suspect this project is more about being able to have his voice heard by an audience somewhere, anywhere. On the other hand if it ends up costing him too much, I can see him easily pulling the plug. I don't think he would give up the lavish lifestyle that he's earned in order to finance an unprofitable vanity project, hence the pleas for donations. I don't see what the big deal is, isn't Leo LaPorte's podcast network basically financed by donations?
 
SimiRadioListener26 said:
I don't see what the big deal is, isn't Leo LaPorte's podcast network basically financed by donations?

Leo has quite a few sponsors with deep pockets like "Stamps.com" or "Gotomeeting" and then lets not forget the revenue he gets from his nationwide weekend shows on the Premiere network. I'm sure those are funding a large portion of the weekday shows.

As for Leykis, he claims he is not making any money and that in year one they lost money. The goal for year two is to break even. He said if they don't meet that then it's off into the sunset for him. He said he can retire tomorrow but that he wasn't going to sink in anymore money into this venture if it doesn't make money.

What I object to is the incessant threats of him leaving. The bottom line is that if this venture works big time, then he will become an internet mogul and will reap the generous benefits. So don't make it seem like he is purely doing this for his listeners. He is merely trying to make more money and if he can't then he'll walk away. The benefit of the listeners have no role in his plan.

It's the same thing as what Howard Stern did. When he left Terrestrial radio he talked about starting a revolution and changing the face of radio. Once he cashed in his 100 million dollar paycheck within weeks he was taking Fridays off and then proceeded to take extended vacations every month. From what I hear, he now only does three days a week. As I said the listeners mean nothing to these guys.
 
Are there any spies at the Tom Leykis party at the Laugh Factory. Hearing several L.A. Radio people currently employed at the party like Beto Duran on KSPN 710 AM. Wonder how his bosses are going to feel about that? Any others? Do tell!!!
 
Unlike Stern, Leykis never got his big payday. Sure, TL got paid out on his last contract to not speak but in no way did TL contract come close to Stern money. Ironically, they both had/have same agent. TL was my least favorite of all comparable talk radio stars but he did appeal to a segment that got him ratings on stations around the country. Alas TLs window of opportunity has likely passed him by and his new normal pleading sounds sad, almost on the edge of delusional behavior. I've acted the same way when my career and my entrepeneurial plans stalled. I'd like to think there are places for the best talkers but I don't think TL has a spot at the blogging/satellite table that offers some revenue stream, but no where near what a playa like TL expects.

People in the know can probably answer this question. At what point does a radio station or syndicate place a series of podcasters on a station(s) editing the podcast for broadcast consumption. In other words no live broadcast just replay of an edited podcast model.
Is it an amount of content issue? Is Carrolla is the only one that does a daily podcast?
Does the revenue model work given what the top podcast expect to earn?
Is it too costly to operate a station, too difficult to edit, and too tough a sell to advertisers?
Is podcastone.com headed in this direction?
 
At what point does a radio station or syndicate place a series of podcasters on a station(s) editing the podcast for broadcast consumption. In other words no live broadcast just replay of an edited podcast model.

KYCY San Francisco (marketed as K-YOU Radio) did it in 2005, though not with any name talent.
 
I don't see Leykis coming back beyond this year.

Despite the incessant begging the quality of advertisers hasn't gone up and I doubt if the number of yearly subscribers have increased to any significant level. In fact he just had his anniversary listener party in Long Beach. If you look at the pictures of the event on his website, you would think he would retire and quit tomorrow. It seems that the place is barely filled and has has more open spaces than people. Sad, but it ain't working.
 
westfield60 said:
I don't see Leykis coming back beyond this year.

Despite the incessant begging the quality of advertisers hasn't gone up and I doubt if the number of yearly subscribers have increased to any significant level. In fact he just had his anniversary listener party in Long Beach. If you look at the pictures of the event on his website, you would think he would retire and quit tomorrow. It seems that the place is barely filled and has has more open spaces than people. Sad, but it ain't working.

I listened to the Leykis segment on Mark and Brian's departure. It is sad that he's not getting the big money offers. TL explains stations and their conglomerate owners are so in debt with big exec pay packages that he refuses to work at a "reduced rate" to help media execs/companies.

I agree with TL in principle but you gotta think he's having second thoughts about the New Normal.
 
rap2792 said:
I listened to the Leykis segment on Mark and Brian's departure. It is sad that he's not getting the big money offers. TL explains stations and their conglomerate owners are so in debt with big exec pay packages that he refuses to work at a "reduced rate" to help media execs/companies.

I agree with TL in principle but you gotta think he's having second thoughts about the New Normal.
If I were him and I didn't need the money, I'd do the same thing. If I did need the money, I'd do what I had to do.
 
WotterWhite said:
He just posted on Facebook that one of his crew will be leaving. My money is on the stoner that runs the board.

Usually not a good sign when the "insiders" see the handwriting on the wall. He's already planning on doing a test to see if he can run the show from his ranch. I guess the expense of the studio and staff is breaking the bank. My prediction is that the whole show will fold before the end of the year.

I've listened several times but it really seems stale now. It seems like the same thing over and over again. His story on how he became a millionaire, his incessant threats of leaving, his ask a Mexican 'yawn' segment, un-screened callers, Suleman.

Boring.
 
westfield60 said:
It’s amazing at how quickly the Tom Leykis podcast is turning into TBN.

Not a single day goes by now when you don’t have brother Leykis pounding the pulpit threatening that he will be off the air if he doesn't get more money and advertisers. All the while he is driving his Tesla to his Santa Barbara ranch. Just funny how he really has turned into the classic televangelist who he loves to mock.

OMG another thing stolen from The Poorman. Whining about callers and advertisers while saying he needs money. All the while living in Manhattan drinking >$100 bottles of wine.

Has Tom whined about having the #1 show on KFI yet? :D
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom