Big Boy Sued By Emmis Media For Jumping Ship To iHeartRadio

It appears that he has reached the end of the road as far as his contract is concerned and was offered a better deal with burgeoning rival iHeartMedia. It also appears the powers that be aren’t liking that decision.

Via TMZ:

Big Boy — one of the biggest personalities in radio — is apparently too popular for his own good. The communications group that ran his show for decades claims Big Boy has betrayed them by jumping to a competitor and they are hell-bent on stopping it.

Emmis is taking it real personal, saying it discovered Big Boy more than 20 years ago when he was working as a bodyguard, and turned him into one of the most dynamic personalities on the air.
Big Boy was making $1.45 million a year — plus bonuses and a car — but his contract was up at the end of this month. According to the suit, Big Boy got an offer from iHeartMedia of $3.5 million plus other royalties and perks, including the use of a private jet.

But Emmis says it has a right under the existing deal to match a competitor’s offer and keep him, and says that’s exactly what it did … but he told the company he was leaving anyway.
The outlet that carries Big Boy’s Neighborhood in L.A. — Power 106 FM — started Wednesday’s morning drive time … his usual shift … by playing music without a DJ, though one eventually came on around 6 AM.

But Emmis is on the attack, asking a judge for an order prohibiting Big Boy from bailing. Emmis also wants $5 million.