How much are Aussie radio stars really worth?

Staff Writer

Radio is big business here in Australia, with some of the industry’s brightest stars earning a significant amount of money.

The standouts are Kyle and Jackie O, who earn a reported $5 million each a year. Rumours suggest annual salaries of $4 million each for the recently retired from radio, (for now at least), Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, as well as Eddie McGuire and Alan Jones.

Other big names like Kate Langbroek and Dave Hughes – who famously fought for pay parity last year – plus Amanda Keller, Ross Stevenson, Ray Hadley, Neil Mitchell, Fifi Box and Mick Molloy, each reportedly earn a couple of million dollars per year for their efforts on the airwaves.

But that’s peanuts compared to U.S. radio giant Howard Stern, with Forbes magazine revealing that the SiriusXM host earns a cool US$90 million (AU$113 million) a year – handing him the title of “world’s highest paid radio host”.

Forbes analyst Hayley C. Cuccinello also estimated that Rush Limbaugh and Ryan Seacrest earned US$84 million and US$58 million per year respectively.

While these figures are astonishing, they’re somewhat in proportion with the size of the radio market in the U.S. (at about US$27 billion) – compared to the Australian radio market, which is estimated to be worth just short of $800 million from ad revenue.

Are Australia’s top radio talent worth every penny? Let us know in the comments section.

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Peter
22 Jan 2018 - 6:21 pm

Howard’s worth every cent

Anonomous
22 Jan 2018 - 7:09 pm

Kyle and Jackie have pay parity as do Hughesy and Kate. How about Em and Ed ? And Kennedy and Molloy ? Or Jonesy and Amanda ?
Bet they don’t.

Fill in the zeros
22 Jan 2018 - 7:37 pm

The Kyle brand is now worth whatever he says.
Those that want the brand will pay.
$7 Million maybe?

Anon
23 Jan 2018 - 4:10 am

Kyle and Jack are worth that and more. Just look at the cost of them leaving 2Dayfm. SCA still haven’t recovered and it’s cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and market cap value.

Anonomous
23 Jan 2018 - 8:32 am

I wouldn’t put it past Kyle to jump ship again for more money.

Dave
23 Jan 2018 - 11:02 am

@Anonomous I think you’ll find Kyle only left because he was disgruntled that 2Day told hm breakfast shows have a life expectancy of 10 years and that he wasn’t worth what he was asking. If ARN look after him then they’re won’t be another shuffle.

Anonomous
23 Jan 2018 - 12:16 pm

How on earth did SCA let them go ? Hope none of the execs responsible are still there today. Pity the shareholders if they are.

Anonomous
24 Jan 2018 - 6:51 am

Where would ARN be without them. KIIS wouldn’t exist and Mix would be in 2dayfms shoes right now swapping brekky shows and changing music formats around. $5 million each seems like ARN got a very good deal in Kyle and Jackie. They would make 5 times their pay in ad revenue. Good luck to them that should be very inspiring to all young announcers.

Andy
23 Oct 2019 - 11:09 pm

Kyle and Jacki O?
They not worth anywhere near what they getting paid. Complete garbage only listened to by idiots with nothing between their ears. Their hourly rate should be no more than 35 dollars. In any case I don’t listen to KIIS. Have heard it few times that was enough.

Jacob Thomas
13 Feb 2021 - 11:17 pm

Neil Mitchell and the likes are a complete waste of money. Full of themselves and the greatest liars and misleads the public. They comment on news to exite the public and cause confusion.

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