Rumor has it that the reason WRKO in Boston dumped Rush is that declining radio ad revenues had made it very hard to justify his big up-front rights fee (rumored to be $500K/year in that market). A local show, even with a fraction of the ratings, could be infinitely more profitable when you don’t have to shell out that big rights fee up-front.
Would Salem pay as much for Rush’s Boston rights as they did for the entire station? I guess we’ll see.
Ironically enough $500k is what Salem is paying for the station. Yes re: Rush and some estimates say RKO was in the hole for $1.2 million. WMEX also said no to carrying him;
last year there was a limited marketing agreement with Wallis Comm. to buy the station, but eventually they dropped out of the picture. Now Daly XXL of N.C. is LMA-ing the station with intent to purchase...and they said no to
paying big bucks for Rush. That station already costs a lot of money for the electricity etc. !
Salem is already running Christian teaching and praise stations here, so the theory of conservative talk seems likely (as the other bases are already covered including
Spanish—1150). But getting Rush, not as likely unless iHeart/Premiere really wants to clear him here. But they want big bucks, as Rush finishes off his contract and iHM is deep in debt.