Traber set to sign record-setting deal with Sports Animal

[Pete]

Jim Traber is about to become one of the highest paid media personalities in Oklahoma – if not the THE highest – when he signs a new 3-year contract with WWLS, The Sports Animal.


Traber's current contract is set to expire Oct. 31st and he had been courted by the new sports talk station, The Franchise (KRXO).

However, the SA made him an offer he couldn't refuse and Traber will stay on. His shows continue to dominate in the ratings.


His 3-year deal will be in excess of $300,000 annually (closer to $400K) and increase each of the three years.

This may be the top salary for any Oklahoma media personality, although Mike Morgan and Linda Cavanaugh of OKC's KFOR-TV are in the same neighborhood.


Can't reveal my sources on all this but they are rock solid. Expect a formal announcement very soon.

[onthestrip]

Cant believe A) someone would pay that much for this blowhard and B) people still tune into listen to this blowhard.

[OKCisOK4me]

Which is why C) I'm glad I listen to REAL sports talk on 107.7!

[Dubya61]

Further more: D) Who would buy his records?

[Pete]

Further more: D) Who would buy his records?

Traber was already paid a ton of money but the competition from The Franchise required SA to really up their numbers to keep him.

Jim is controversial and certainly not universally loved, but people listen to his show and that's why he's so valuable.

[OKVision4U]

....OK,

A ) I get it ... w/ Traber and the market share = $$$. The more power to you Jim.
B ) Mike Morgan saves lives each year with his concern for all of us out here...
C ) Linda Cavanaugh ... I have always liked her, but the neighborhood of $300 - $400 K ...??? not so sure on that one. (just kidding, I dont want her "replaced" by any younger lady) Linda C. IS Oklahoma !

[ou48A]

Traber does a nice job of drawing ratings from the Jerry Springer loving crowd..
There always a market on the radio for a talking train wreak for the weak thinkers.

Trabers declarations of war and adamant defense of a coach who signed and played a player who was under indictment for the rape of a 12 year old girl are a direct reflection of the values of his advertisers and of those who continue to work with him on air.
It may not do much good but my self and a few others avoid his advertisers.

[soonerguru]

The Franchise is making an impact. I heard Traber whining about that "other station where they only talk about OU" and how SA's ratings were tops, etc. He protested a bit too much, IMO.

I must say it is so refreshing to tune in Franchise, and hear people have engaging discussions about sports without screaming and yelling. Traber is a punk.

[SoonerDave]

Cant believe A) someone would pay that much for this blowhard and B) people still tune into listen to this blowhard.

Because the station A) obviously generates the revenue to justify paying it, which means that B) is self-evident.

When he doesn't go off on one of his bigger rants, he's actually does a really good sports interview, and the baseball preview is always fun to listen to (and I'm not even really a big baseball fan). I do enjoy his insights from when he played pro and college ball, because those are insights few others have. If he and/or Al go off the deep end, I just change stations for a while.

I've been listening to the new station, too, and I like a lot of what they're doing. Steely's morning show is an easy pick over what the old Morning Animals has become, and I think Tony Casillas has gotten *miles* better in hosting his show with Dave Garrett in the afternoons. First few days were, IMHO, really dicey, but I think Tony has really become comfortable with the kind of personal he wants to express on the air, and he and Garrett are striking up a good rapport. Its getting much stronger. And its definitely nice to have an alternative to Jim and Al when they go waaaaay of the reservation as they are wont to do.

[SoonerDave]

....OK,

A ) I get it ... w/ Traber and the market share = $$$. The more power to you Jim.
B ) Mike Morgan saves lives each year with his concern for all of us out here...
C ) Linda Cavanaugh ... I have always liked her, but the neighborhood of $300 - $400 K ...??? not so sure on that one. (just kidding, I dont want her "replaced" by any younger lady) Linda C. IS Oklahoma !

I'm looking for the sarcasm font...

[Laramie]

Which is why C) I'm glad I listen to REAL sports talk on 107.7!

I'll certainly start listening to 107.7 and see what they have to offer.

I stop listening to Jim Traber's show simply because of his arrogance and rudeness toward some of those who call-in and express an opinion contrary to his thinking.

[ThomPaine]

I've pretty much switched to The Franchise. Though they're not exactly all excellent, they do have shorter commercial breaks.

I like the morning show with Steely and Rohde, but I wish I could hear Tramel over there. Sam Mayes is better than Traber as far as OSU flavor/talent.

I think David Garrett is a little creepy about how he gushes over Casillas - he has a serious crush, and it's just weird.

I stopped listening to Traber and Al awhile back. Just my taste, but I don't tune in to Sports Radio to hear about Right Wing Politics or Midget Strippers.

[OKVision4U]

I'm looking for the sarcasm font...

Zero sarcasm on that one. Mike truly saves lives. He has a heart for it. I'm glad he is here. That new guy on KOCO 5 ( Rick Mitchell replacement ) looks lost.

[BrettM2]

Zero sarcasm on that one. Mike truly saves lives. He has a heart for it. I'm glad he is here. That new guy on KOCO 5 ( Rick Mitchell replacement ) looks lost.

So... Screaming=saving lives and cool, calm, reasoned= Lost. Got it.

[dmoor82]

Which weather guy on May 31st told people to head south in their cars to get away from the tornado?

[OKVision4U]

So... Screaming=saving lives and cool, calm, reasoned= Lost. Got it.

Mike was a primary reason the death toll was so low. Theses storms were formed in 15 min. He was live on CNN within a few min. All of this was a large factor in the lack of fatalities.

[OKVision4U]

Which weather guy on May 31st told people to head south in their cars to get away from the tornado?

Yes, if you couldn't get below ground or in a safe room. Then YES get out of the area. Duh F5

[Edgar]

Does screaming your obvious pedestrian takes make them more interesting? The sad thing is the low IQ carpetbaggers get like 10 hours or something, and a knowledgeable witty host like Tramel is on for 20 minutes or so and traber is so insecure he turns up the drama queen meter. Finally took Carey Murdock out of mothballs since they have am show competition. animal stockpiles the local "talent" just to kill any threat of competition- play me or trade me. Like when Switzer used to offer a player just so OSU wouldn't get them.

[Drake]

Yes, if you couldn't get below ground or in a safe room. Then YES get out of the area. Duh F5

This is getting way off topic but that was NOT an F5 tornado and he had no business telling people to get in their cars. They would have been safer at home.

It was irresponsible and he rightly took heat for it

[SoonerDave]

Zero sarcasm on that one. Mike truly saves lives. He has a heart for it. I'm glad he is here. That new guy on KOCO 5 ( Rick Mitchell replacement ) looks lost.

Were those lives being saved before or after he told everyone to get on the road last May??

Sorry, that guy has caused so much damage to the cause of legitimate weather coverage in this state I can't even begin to describe it. Do you know that state and local emergency management staffs are now using what he said as a model of what not to do in the future? And this isn't conjecture - it was relayed to me personally by someone in charge of disaster prep at a local business. It was explained to me that "well, they didn't name any names, but they used what was said during that broadcast and said, effectively, 'we're not going to use that kind of language in warning the public in the future."

The guy is a pariah. He represents everything bad and sensationalist about severe weather coverage. I think of folks like my aunt and uncle - senior citizens in at best marginal health - who heard his advice and followed it - and were trapped in a monster hailstorm in Norman, terrified, calling us on their cellphone asking what they should do "because the TV guy told us to leave town."

I realize I'm just one person, and I don't amount to a hill of beans, but it is my opinion that Morgan should have been fired for that stunt. Absolutely fired. But we all know that we can't let ethics get in the way of ratings.

No offense, OKVision4U, if you like him, that's your prerogative, and I respect that. I hope you will at least respect my opinion in the same spirit.

Sorry for the thread deviation. I'll go away now.

[SoonerDave]

Mike was a primary reason the death toll was so low. Theses storms were formed in 15 min. He was live on CNN within a few min. All of this was a large factor in the lack of fatalities.

No, he wasn't.

The "death toll" was low because of folks like those right here on this board, like venture79 and anonymous, and myriad responsible weathermen from the NWS and on other broadcast outlets who spent the better part of a week warning people up front about a serious weather situation was on the way, to make a plan, to get ready, and numerous organizations made broad arrangements to allow people to leave work early to avoid the storms. That's what saves lives. Not someone performing the meterological equivalent of yelling "Fire!' in a crowded theater.

I'm really going away now. I promise. No more thread hijack.

[zookeeper]

I couldn't agree with you more, SoonerDave. That WAS a stunt deserving of a pink slip.

As for Traber making $300,000 a year, that's just absolutely crazy. That's a lot of advertising that will need to be sold. There are jocks on the air with top, or near-top ratings (depending on demographics), doing morning radio making $85,000 in this city. This was never an AFTRA market, for obvious reasons, and salaries in the media industry have always been in the tank here, but if Traber was really worth $300K in Oklahoma City, why isn't he in a bigger market making $750K? Serious question. OKC offering $300K to a guy like Traber says so many bad things about the state of radio and television in Oklahoma City. Comical and sad at the same time.

[ljbab728]

I couldn't agree with you more, SoonerDave. That WAS a stunt deserving of a pink slip.

As for Traber making $300,000 a year, that's just absolutely crazy. That's a lot of advertising that will need to be sold. There are jocks on the air with top, or near-top ratings (depending on demographics), doing morning radio making $85,000 in this city. This was never an AFTRA market, for obvious reasons, and salaries in the media industry have always been in the tank here, but if Traber was really worth $300K in Oklahoma City, why isn't he in a bigger market making $750K? Serious question. OKC offering $300K to a guy like Traber says so many bad things about the state of radio and television in Oklahoma City. Comical and sad at the same time.

People are worth what they get paid and it says nothing about the state of radio and (television????) in OKC. LOL
I don't think they will pay him that much money just out of the goodness of the hearts. It's a business.

[MWCGuy]

I believe they are paying Traber that much based on the fact the station will probably tank if he leaves. Esbach would likely retire and the rest would probably follow Traber over to the Franchise over the course of time.

[zookeeper]

People are worth what they get paid and it says nothing about the state of radio and (television????) in OKC. LOL
I don't think they will pay him that much money just out of the goodness of the hearts. It's a business.

You would have had to understand my AFTRA reference (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and then my writing "media industry" and then I spoke of the ridiculous salary for a member of the media (in this case radio). That's why I said "...the state of radio and television."

Nobody said anything about motives being kind-hearted so I didn't even understand that reference. You're always so incredibly snarky. Why? Doesn't that get old?