Michael Graham to be on WCRN, 3 other stations

[Sean Smyth]

Dan wrote:
>out the person in the middle. If that's so, Graham must have high hopes for
>strong sales of his program--even though it will run opposite Limbaugh on
>WRKO and will lack a strong signal that would cover Boston and the close-in
>suburbs. The most likely possibility for that would seem to be WROL.


Graham seems to be sticking around here, so maybe this is just a way to stay relevant, pick up guest spots on NECN or whatever other channel will have him, keep writing for the Herald, etc. He's not valuable to any of those outlets, and not making money, if he's on the sidelines. 

I don't know what airtime goes for nowadays on a station with a decent-sized signal, such as 830. About 20 years ago, I'd say it would've been at least $200. Also keep in mind he's buying in bulk, so he may be getting a discount. Anyway, I'm guessing at a minimum $350/hour to lease airtime on all four stations, and I'd take the over if I were a betting man. You're talking, at a minimum, of $5,000/week in airtime costs. Add in a salary, if Graham is paying himself one, costs to transmit the program from the home base studio (whether it's Armstrong's stations or 830) to the other "affiliates," paying for salespeople (unless he's selling it himself), and the costs mount up quickly. Breaking even would be a challenge.