Phil Hendrie Rants About Radio's Low Pay

Popular Radio Comedian Says Traditional Radio On Way Out - Blames Low Talent Pay

Phil Hendrie, Los Angeles syndicated talk radio show host ranted Wednesday night on his comedy radio program that radio is on it's way out. Hendrie, who does comedy character voices on his long running show blames radio station management for cheapening radio programming.

Hendrie, a 40-year veteran of talk and entertainment radio, said radio station owners refuse to pay talent fairly and hints that online internet radio will eventually  take over as traditional radio broadcasting is left behind.

Hendrie says he make more money from his internet blog and online downloadable shows than he does from his live on air radio nightly broadcast.

Hendrie has been involved in television and movies for more than a decade appears in the movie, “This Is 40.”  Hendrie has also had a recurring role in the TV sitcom “New Girl,” and appeared in the movie “Last Call” and does voice work for the animated version of “Napoleon Dynamite.”

He also plays a character on the ABC-TV hit show “Modern Family” in which he plays the recurring character “Boots.” 

His first broadcasting job was at WBJW 1440 AM in Winter Park, Fla., a suburb of Orlando from 1973–1975. From 1976 to 1988, Hendrie was a disc jockey (DJ) on AOR-format rock music stations in Utica, NY, New Orleans, LA, Miami, FL, San Diego, CA, Los Angeles, CA and Fresno, CA. 

In Miami, he did many on air comedy skits with veteran broadcaster Larry King, both working for WIOD  610 in the 70s.

He says he's now "totally divorced" from conventional talk radio and refuses to talk about traditional political topics anymore calling it "garbage" entertainment, "a garbage can filled with meaningless" political talk. Hendrie says he's never talked to anyone who's impressed him with their political opinions. In the coming year he says he's going to talk about everything other than politics.

"That's the leaf I've turned over," he said Wednesday. He says he's neither conservative or liberal, but says current radio management tries to "squeeze blood out of a rock" cutting salaries and "formulatic" programming tea party radio.

He says radio is not longer fun to do and there's no money in it. "This is no way to run a business" he says, claiming people who run the broadcasting business don't know what they're doing. He says management either doesn't know what they're doing or they're robbing talent blind.

He cites bad programming where stations sell time to the highest bidder who wants to put on a syndicated program that has no entertainment value for listeners.

For several years, portions of many of Hendrie's comic radio shows have been available as free downloads at philhendrieradio.com

Hendrie’s comedy bits, including characters Jay Santos, Chris Norton, Bobbie Dooley, David G. Hall and Ted Bell are now available on the Pandora internet radio channels.