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.

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

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

Further more: D) Who would buy his records?

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.

....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 !

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.

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.

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.

....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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Traber's show is not just heard on OKC Radio. The animal's shows are simulcast live on several stations around the state. One of those stations reaches Tulsa listeners. That likely explains the money as he is probably getting paid based on advertising from all the stations around the state.

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?
If you don't want to be disagreed with here you shouldn't make comments. In spite of what AFTRA means, what we were discussing had nothing to do with the state of television in OKC.

When I disagree with someone I say it. It has nothing to do with calling people names like "snarky".

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?

You specifically said he wasn't worth what he was being paid, hence my "goodness of the hearts" comment.

If you don't want to be disagreed with here you shouldn't make comments. In spite of what AFTRA means, what we were discussing had nothing to do with the state of television in OKC.

When I disagree with someone I say it. It has nothing to do with calling people names like "snarky".

Whatever. "Snarky" isn't a name like on the playground, it's more just like............well....... most of your posts. It's just what they call "those" posts these days and it just so happens yours are full of snark and gotchas and therefore are ..... snarky! You pick one little thing in a post to snark about and do your cute little condescending LOL on so many posts. It really gets old.

Whatever. "Snarky" isn't a name like on the playground, it's more just like............well....... most of your posts. It's just what they call "those" posts these days and it just so happens yours are full of snark and gotchas and therefore are ..... snarky! You pick one little thing in a post and do your cute little LOL on so many posts. It really gets old.


As I said, if you don't want to have people disagree with you, you shouldn't make posts.

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

Which is 90% of Oklahoman's (or more) - which he irresponsibly ordered out onto the streets all at the same time. (insert "Doooooh" here).

Back to the topic:

Media notes: Jim Traber agrees to new three-year contract with Sports Animal radio network | News OK (http://newsok.com/media-notes-jim-traber-agrees-to-new-three-year-contract-with-sports-animal-radio-network/article/3896076)

Media notes: Jim Traber agrees to new three-year contract with Sports Animal radio network | News OK (http://newsok.com/media-notes-jim-traber-agrees-to-new-three-year-contract-with-sports-animal-radio-network/article/3896076)


Sports Animal radio network afternoon personality Jim Traber said he has agreed to a new three-year contract as the network continues to lock up its talent in wake of added competition from 107.7 The Franchise, which launched in late August.

“I'm excited about moving forward,” Traber said Monday of the new deal, noting he was pleased with support from Cumulus Media management in Oklahoma City and Atlanta. Traber, a former OSU quarterback and Baltimore Orioles first baseman, said his current contract expires at the end of the month.

“Jim is an intricate part of the team,” said Cumulus market manager Larry Bastida.

Bastida noted Cumulus management has shown a “real investment in sports talk radio. They believe it's one of the formats of the future. They give us a lot of support here.”

Bastida said the network, led by flagship station WWLS-FM 98.1, had “solidified all of our guys” with new agreements with nearly everyone on The Sports Animal, including Traber's afternoon partner, Al Eschbach; Bob Barry Jr., 9 a.m. to noon; Mark Rodgers, noon to 2 p.m.; and the morning team of Curtis Fitzpatrick, Carey Murdock, Ron Benton (“Spinozi”) and Phil Inzinga. Benton and Inzinga moved off from sister station KQOB-FM 96.9, which has picked up the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom Show” in the mornings.

New contributors to the network include former OU receiver P.J. Mills, who is on from noon to 1 p.m. with Rodgers; Royce Young of the Daily Thunder blog, who will be part of the Thunder pregame and postgame shows; college football experts Jake Trotter and George Schroeder; and former OSU quarterback Zac Robinson and receiver Rashaun Woods.

Back to the topic:

Media notes: Jim Traber agrees to new three-year contract with Sports Animal radio network | News OK (http://newsok.com/media-notes-jim-traber-agrees-to-new-three-year-contract-with-sports-animal-radio-network/article/3896076)

At this point, did he really have much choice? I don't know where he would fit in on the Franchise's weekly programming schedule, it sounds like they are pretty well set (unless future ratings tank).

I don't know if you read the sports thread but this has been discussed for a while here.

http://www.okctalk.com/sports/35335-traber-set-sign-record-setting-deal-sports-animal-2.html

Not sure what is more unbelievable...... The fact that people actually listen to him or that he gets paid what he does to do what he does. It really is hard to comprehend.

At this point, did he really have much choice? I don't know where he would fit in on the Franchise's weekly programming schedule, it sounds like they are pretty well set (unless future ratings tank).

Yes, The Franchise really wanted him which is why he was able to angle for a massive raise.

At this point, did he really have much choice? I don't know where he would fit in on the Franchise's weekly programming schedule, it sounds like they are pretty well set (unless future ratings tank).

Huh? Of course he had choices. If he had none, they wouldn't have written the check.

There's a reason the SA is paying him that kind of coin - hate him or love him, he drives the ratings and attention (negative or otherwise) that generates buzz that advertisers love and pay to get. If they hadn't offered him a sweet enough deal, don't think for a second that Tyler/Franchise wouldn't have scooped him up in a heartbeat. The mere fact that people talk about "how could they pay that clown that much money" speaks volumes for the intensity of feeling about the guy - which is precisely why he's valuable. Don't hear as much buzz about P.J. Mills with Mark Rodgers at noon, do you?

This is business. As I said, this isn't about whether you or I or anyone else loves or hates the guy. Its about what he does for ratings and, in turn, revenue. For now, Traber brings it. The Animal would have taken a nearly fatal hit had they lost him. You *bet* the Franchise would have taken him. If he had nodded his head they'd have had a contract in front of him so fast the air would crackle.

Keep in mind, secondarily, that they've already taken one hit - the loss of their entrenched morning show. While it's not of the same magnitude Traber would have been, it was a blindside that it seems (well, at least publicly) no one saw coming. I'm no radio biz expert, but from what little I do understand, that "morning drive" slot is critical for the carryover into the softer, later-morning times - people just keep the dial on the same station, as it were. When Steely jumped ship, then Lump thereafter, the SA was left with Fitzpatrick, and while he's every bit a nice guy, he just doesn't (and I suspect was never intended or expected to) have the radio chops to carry that show by himself. Bringing in Spinozi and Murdock wasn't a bad idea, but I'm going to make an educated guess that the Franchise will do very well in the first wave of morning book numbers to come. They couldn't afford to lose the lead-in Traber brings in the afternoons into the "drive home" time. Lose the morning anchor and the afternoon anchor, and you're essentially building from scratch.

The Franchise/Tyler Media isn't going to upend Traber in the afternoons, but I suspect they have a target number in mind that, for them, will indicate they made the kind of "dent" in the ratings they needed to consider their rollout successful. Casillas in the afternoons has gotten markedly better since they started, but its still a work in progress. The Steely/Rohde morning show is (IMHO of course) really enjoyable.

Point is that its no surprise at all they paid the $$ to keep him on board. They probably sweetened the deal just beyond where they estimated Tyler was willing to go to get him. Any of us would hope to be in the middle of a bidding war for whatever we do to make a living...

When they put together The Franchise, Traber and most of the others at the Sports Animal were part of their grand plan.

Mike Steely and Lump moved over with the expectation that Traber would follow when his contract expired at the end of this month.

But Traber got cold feet, decided to make an outrageous request of the SA, and they basically just accepted it.


The Franchise was hoping to basically move everyone over from the Sports Animal and become the dominant talk show station in town. Like him or not, Traber is still the big fish and that is why he gets paid the big bucks.

When they put together The Franchise, Traber and most of the others at the Sports Animal were part of their grand plan.

Mike Steely and Lump moved over with the expectation that Traber would follow when his contract expired at the end of this month.

But Traber got cold feet, decided to make an outrageous request of the SA, and they basically just accepted it.


The Franchise was hoping to basically move everyone over from the Sports Animal and become the dominant talk show station in town. Like him or not, Traber is still the big fish and that is why he gets paid the big bucks.

And I've also noticed that Steely et al have ramped up the "targeting" of Traber in a lot of their morning stuff now. They were going after the Animal and their "eight-minute commercial breaks" in general before, but they've got Traber in their gunsites now. Interesting to see how it unfolds

Steely and Traber are friends and Mike was very disappointed when Jim decided to stay put.

Obviously, that changes the entire balance between the two stations and lowers the value and reach of The Franchise.

Steely and Traber are friends and Mike was very disappointed when Jim decided to stay put.

Obviously, that changes the entire balance between the two stations and lowers the value and reach of The Franchise.

Oh, absolutely. Garrett and Casillas are developing a better chemistry now, and they arguably actually talk more sports than Traber does in many cases, but Traber's the big dog.

Surely Tyler had a backup plan in place were they not able to get Traber. Casillas might be part of it, but I just don't see him upending Traber anytime soon.

I hate to disagree, Dave, but that's actually NEVER been the way business is done in this industry in this market. Never. This is unprecedented in this radio market, literally. $300K could have bought them something even better than Traber, who is an average talker (in the radio sense, at a talk station) at best. But, point is, nobody comes close to that kind of salary around here. They are fools for offering it. They put themselves in this position in the first place with their past attitudes towards contracts. You spread that $300K around BEFORE, and you wouldn't have had the defections and The Franchise wouldn't have picked them apart. But, 20/20 is hindsight, as they say. But in this case, 20/20 ends up $300K. Really, I have a hard time even typing that. His value came as a part of a package. The future books will prove me right.

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.

You mean a P.D.S. ? ..this was stated on KFOR for days prior to 5/31. Yes, Mike Morgan was part of the Pre-Planning for Emergency Action Plan. Now, when the Torando hits the ground & is wedge shaped and crossing the I-44 Hwy, Mike said to "get out of harms way", Underground or leave. This is the exact answer that those in the coming path of the F5 needed to hear. And I will state again, the death toll was low because of the limited lives that were still in harms way. In the Risk Assessment for Life, anything greater than "zero", is one life too many. I'm sorry that some old people were caught in the hail strom in Norman, but they were alive. The inconvienence is worth it.

You mean a P.D.S. ? ..this was stated on KFOR for days prior to 5/31. Yes, Mike Morgan was part of the Pre-Planning for Emergency Action Plan. Now, when the Torando hits the ground & is wedge shaped and crossing the I-44 Hwy, Mike said to "get out of harms way", Underground or leave. This is the exact answer that those in the coming path of the F5 needed to hear. And I will state again, the death toll was low because of the limited lives that were still in harms way. In the Risk Assessment for Life, anything greater than "zero", is one life too many. I'm sorry that some old people were caught in the hail strom in Norman, but they were alive. The inconvienence is worth it.

TLO had a link to Weatherbrains Episode 404 on Youtube. It was pretty interesting to watch, they interviewed Mike Morgan and picked his brain about that night. Mike came off as a little cocky but, I had a little more respect for him after watching him. He throughly explained why he did what he did. I also learned a lot about him. My opinion changed on the whole matter and I believe he did the best he could with the resources at his disposal. He was trying to help people and the people panicked and did not comprehend the message he was attempting to deliver. Unfortunately, that message was lost in himself and his team being way to keyed up and hyper when they should have been in the zone relaying information just like they would if it was simple thunderstorm. Gary England's ability to stay in the zone of calm is why so many people watched him over the years.