ELI SANDERS: Your follow-up story on John Richards’s salary was just what I think KEXP listeners needed to see, that the station has gone through enormous success, including handing out inflated salaries [“On the Record,” Dec 22]. I thought it was public radio where the people that work there were working class. Now that he has publicly acknowledged his six-figure income, it’s even more gross that he’d trivialize his “retroactive $30,000” pay increase. Hey that’s double my full-time salary! John should shut the hell up and say nothing. Instead that photo makes him look extra guilty of being another overpaid groupie no-talent wannabe musician—next time pledge week comes around, John, don’t sound so desperate for the cash.

Kim

ELI SANDERS: Were people really that surprised that a radio personality, and a popular one at that, made $120k in one year? We live in a society that rewards good work and skill. You could go around the country and be more surprised at what certain people make in certain industries. But the bottom line is that demand drives supply. If he’s good, and people like him and pledge money in part because of his skill, then he should be paid fairly and compensated accordingly. What does Tom Cruise make per film? $20 million? $25 million? It’s the country we live in now. And to be honest, $120k isn’t THAT much. There are Sonics, sitting on the bench, who make over a million a year. It seems to me that there are more obvious targets for people to guffaw and gasp at concerning salaries than a single radio DJ.

Craig

ELI SANDERS: Thank you for your frank interview with DJ John Richards. As someone involved with music events, I can’t imagine that it is a small task to be the public face of an organization like KEXP. I’m convinced that John’s salary pays for itself in overall value to the radio station. Who can say he doesn’t work hard? Do they have any idea what time he gets up in the morning? I see no reason why a good, professional DJ shouldn’t make a competitive salary for promoting so much good music. Knowing that he is well compensated makes me more inclined to support KEXP, not less. If anyone thinks they can run an internationally recognized, listener-supported station without a DJ like him, well, what’s stopping them?

DJ Fauxfaux

EDITOR: Listen up all you fuckers! No one has the right to place judgment on how much a person makes, whether they are in poverty or filthy fucking rich.

People who are bitching about John Richards’s salary should A) inform themselves of what people like him make at other stations, B) realize how much blood, sweat, and tears he pours into KEXP, and C) get rid of the bitterness you feel about not making as much money as you would like.

Simply because you are stuck in a low-paying, meaningless job doesn’t mean that a public figure has to bear the brunt of your dissatisfaction and bitterness.

Grow up, people. Pay wages are not equal and, yes, even John Richards has to pay the bills and feed his family.

Brian Judd

ELI: I was glad to see your brief interview with John Richards following the article in the Weekly last week. I thought the Weekly’s article was either written during a huge bout of laziness so it was sloppy and nobody bothered to check the facts behind the numbers, or that they were trying to write a libelous article to piss people off at KEXP. Because apparently they don’t think they can get readers without a stupid controversy? I don’t know what they were thinking.

I do know that they did not mention other aspects of John’s job such as producer of some of the shows, etc. (but you already have an article about that). They also did not compare Tom Mara’s salary to other executive directors of nonprofits about the same size as KEXP. Having worked for years in accounting solely with nonprofits, Tom Mara’s salary sounded pretty par for the course to me. It’s a glorious idea to think that people can work for nonprofits for free, but that’s a sad reality of life—we all have to pay our bills. I’m sure Tom Mara’s salary is something most CEOs would never agree to work for because it would be too low for the amount of work that goes into a job as head of any company (nonprofit or not).

As for budget overruns—my god, what nonprofit has not had financial problems, disagreements about where the money should be spent, and budget pitfalls? If the Weekly can show me the financial statements over the course of 10 years of at least two nonprofits, where there have been no disagreements, no financial problems, and everything was easy as pie, I will bow down to the Weekly and say their piece on KEXP was valid. Otherwise, it was tabloid crap and they’ve really gone downhill in journalist integrity.

Not saying I love The Stranger in comparison or anything, I’m just saying… ;)

Julia Montagnet

HI ELI: I just wanted to drop a line to say well done with your published John Richards interview. I think you hit the important questions that people were asking and shed the station in a realistic light. Well done.

Eric

ELI: I loved the very obvious PR “damage control” interview you conducted with John Richards. Hey John, nobody is questioning your hard/great work and time spent with KEXP, they’re just wondering why the hell you’re making a six-figure salary. You can dance around and try to explain how you arrived at $120,000 and how you’ve put in your time and blah, blah, blah, but the fact is that you made $120,000 last year no matter how you slice it. Only 4.3% of the entire U.S. workforce makes a six-figure salary or more (Census Bureau, 2001), so you should feel lucky that a public radio DJ, such as yourself, is in such an elite bracket. Oh, and as for your “fair market value” …give me a break! Your “fair market value” in the world of PUBLIC RADIO, and I stress the words public radio because that’s where you are, is NOT $120,000. Just go ask the folks at KUOW.

DC Johnson

ELI: So are you suggesting the sum of $120.000 was wrong? U fucking scab! You have lied your ass of to many times to count, you start this story like the SEATTLE WEEKLY messed up! WRONG! you are just a two bit hag! Change your profession, try cock sucking!! like you did for DJ John… fucking loser!! [SIC !!!]

Britta Sumy

DEAR STRANGER: I think it is absolutely repulsive that John in the Whatever makes that much money. Have you seen the photo on KEXP's website, with that shit eating grin of his? That was a great question about all the poor musicians and students in this town who do donate… to John's car payment. (That schmuck probably drives a 2004 Land Rover) I don’t buy that station shit and earns every penny. Please. He plays decent music for a few hours. That is all. There are probably copious amounts of people in Seattle who could do it better, cheaper, and without that fucking grin. You all are wonderful. Keep writing.

Evan

EDITOR: I've been stewing for a few weeks now about Nina Shapiro's article in the Seattle Weekly and The Stranger's rather anemic follow-up regarding KEXP and John Richards (AKA John in the Morning).

Without context, the quotes regarding John's salary are meaningless muckraking. Tell us how much the other DJs (at KEXP, at KMTT, at KNDD) are paid. How much do the big stations pay for their satellite feeds? How much do record company executives, board members of commercial stations, big-label musicians bring home? Does Nina Shapiro get adequately compensated for her exposés?

John's salary is a classic example of "you get what you pay for." The Morning Show brings in a significant percentage of KEXP's pledge drive dollars. John works many shifts at the station in addition to The Morning Show—including live broadcasts, podcasts, station id/promo taping, and other behind-the-scene tasks. He demonstrates sincere passion for the station and the local music community. Like him or not, he's a significant force at the station--he would be missed if another station offered him a better opportunity.

Anyone who has a problem with John or his show doesn't have to listen to The Morning Show. If you listen, you should offer some compensation for your enjoyment—volunteer, donate, promote, attend shows, etc. I donate during The Roadhouse because I like to spread the love, but I listen to KEXP almost constantly. It's the soundtrack to my daily activities.

Melissa Jonas

P.S. I tried to send a letter to the Seattle Weekly, but their website is broken—the button to send a letter gave me an error message. They probably wouldn't print it anyway—let's keep up the illusion that loyal KEXP fans are outraged and turning away in droves.

Also check out the discussion on this topic in the Stranger Forums.