Highest Paid Radio Hosts

From Tom Taylor's NOW Column this morning...

Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh and Ryan Seacrest top the Forbes list of “Highest-paid Radio Hosts.” Stern earned a Forbes-estimated $90 million between June 2016 and June 2017, and his estimated $450 million net worth makes him “one of America’s wealthiest celebrities.” Forbes staffer Hayley Cuccinello says the deal he signed with SiriusXM in late 2015 “includes digital distribution channel like apps and video streaming, which could pad Stern’s paycheck in the future.” (Though we haven’t yet seen the promised new products and management says they’re in the works.) #2 on the Forbes “Highest Paid Radio Hosts” ranking is Premiere’s Rush Limbaugh at $84 million. The Wednesday “fourth hour” on his paid subscription service probably encouraged more sign-ups – so Rush might do even better in next year’s accounting by Forbes. #3 is radio/TV personality and entrepreneur Ryan Seacrest, at an estimated $58 million. #4 is onetime radio host Bill O’Rielly – though calling him a “radio host” misses that he’s been making his money from cable TV (his former Fox prime-time gig) and all those “Killing...” books. #5 is Sean Hannity of Premiere and Fox News Channel, at an estimated $36 million. Forbes compiler Cuccinello says it’s been a rough patch for Premiere’s Glenn Beck. His $10 million take is “our lowest estimate since we started tracking his earnings in 2009.”