WRKO paid 'servant' Carr $790,000

Howie Carr has protested that WRKO-AM is treating him like an "indentured servant," trying to force him to remain at the station when he is ready to bolt to WTKK-FM this fall.

But indentured servitude never looked so good: The conservative talk show host made $790,000 in salary and incentives last year, according to industry executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

And, had he hit all of his bonus targets, he could have earned north of $900,000.

"He was well-paid by industry standards, but they wouldn't pay him that if he didn't generate that kind of revenue," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine. "The top gun on a major-market radio station could be responsible for many millions of dollars worth of revenue each year."

Bret Cohen, Carr's attorney, declined to comment about Carr's pay.

CAROLYN Y. JOHNSON