Seacrest expands his business

He's more than a smarky TV host and a Los Angeles radio personality, but a businessman as well.

Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning show in Los Angeles is getting syndicated in a three-hour program for midday and afternoon airings in other markets.

Seacrest took over the KIIS morning gig from 22-year veteran Rick Dees in 2004.

The American Idol host is also taking control of his own destiny: In an agreement with Premiere Radio Networks, Seacrest will own and control a portion of the barter time being sold in the show. Seacrest is also selling his own time on American Top 40, the weekly syndicated radio countdown show once hosted by co-creator Casey Kasem and former L.A. radio personality Shadoe Stevens.

The goal is to bring more advertisers to radio and develop closer business relationships with them. Seacrest plans to do what marketers call "product placement", where instead of thirty and sixty-second spots, Seacrest mentions the products in passing on his shows. Seacrest works extensively with Coca-Cola, a prominent advertiser on Idol, and Proctor & Gamble, among others.

Seacrest has also renewed has deals with KIIS and Premiere to host American Top 40 (as well as the Hot AC version of the show.) Seacrest also has a production deal with E! to host E! Daily News, produce the network's Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and also hosts Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.

He is also planning to launch his own website.

Do we have the next Oprah? Possibly coming soon: RS - The Ryan Seacrest Magazine and Ryan's Book Club, plus a new TV show: Ryan's Big Give.

Thought: Love him or hate him, you have to admire his entrepreneurial spirit. Good for him. And to the haters: He's taking control of his own destiny, unlike other radio and talk personalities who show up for five hours a day, run their mouths, attend a bunch of production meetings, and leave at the end of the day and take a check from The Man. And when they get canned, they whine like little girls.

If you are in the media business - you have to take control of your future. That's what Oprah Winfrey, Kimora Lee, Tom Joyner, Tyra Banks, Byron Allen, Martha Stewart, and other countless celebrities have done. They surely take nothing for granted. These people aren't looking for handouts from media companies - they want to be in business with them. There's a difference. Sadly, there are some people who have more respect for a bombastic radio personality who hops on stage at a political rally and slanders a presidential candidate, then gleefully accepts his six-figure check from The Man and runs back to his mansion in Kentucky while contributing nothing worthwhile.