Masters won’t give Tantaros up without a fight

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Mark MastersFive days after Fox News’ “The Five” host Andrea Tantaros sued Talk Radio Network, the home of her syndicated morning talker, accusing it of fraud and breach of contract—and terminating her employment agreement—TRN CEO Mark Masters has issued another statement that pretty much says they are digging in in this battle. He can’t physically make her come back to work, but because of her contract with TRN to do a show, he notes she legally can’t work for anyone else in radio. He claims they have done everything according to contract and Tantaros is breaching that contract when she doesn’t get behind the mic. He also addresses the competitor that is trying to sign her away:


“It is a testament to the quality of Andrea’s performance, and to TRN Entertainment’s investment, efforts and expertise, that a competitor could offer her and her advisers a “big enough payday” if she could be convinced to try to break her contract with us – which she cannot do.

Though we continue to believe that Andrea is a victim of those who would offer her enough money to take extreme actions, we are saddened for her and our entire team as a result of her falling to this temptation.

Andrea’s advisers would have been much better served to simply call and ask if we would be willing to sell the Show and her contract to the competitor which seeks them.  An ethical competitor would do this, but there are certain unethical competitors who would seek to harm us and falsely induce Andrea to harm us as a method of trying to “cut us out” of any sale of the contract for her radio host services.

Quite simply, this is the 20th anniversary of the founding of the initial TRN company.  We have had many similar situations to this arise in the last twenty years – but none have been public or this aggressive.  Simply put, the various false and misleading statements put out in public, apparently on Andrea’s behalf, are a smokescreen for non- public attempts to steal our investment under the guise of a contract dispute. Therefore, we need to make the following extremely clear – Andrea cannot unilaterally break her contract, and we are in full compliance with the agreement.  Any statements to the contrary from her attorneys or anyone else are just bluster to attempt to hide the “payday” strategy.

For the record, as TRN Entertainment understands the contention asserted to date as to a claimed termination notice issued on Wednesday, October 9, 2013, it was that TRN Entertainment did not respond to a letter issued on Friday, September 13, 2013 within 20 business days thereafter, and that, as a result, a termination notice could be issued.  However, that claim is facially absurd.  The 20 business day period extended through Friday, October 11, 2013, and TRN Entertainment timely issued its response, as it had scheduled internally, one day early, on Thursday, October 10, 2013. Contrary to reports circulating from whatever sources, TRN Entertainment is also current on all of its payment obligations under the agreement, and there were no payment delinquencies which had to be cured as of the Friday, October 11th date in any event.

Less than a year ago, Andrea was not in radio at all.  Our skill, hard work, reputation and investment in her and the Show, combined with her brilliant on air performance, have led to her catching the attention of unethical individuals in the radio business, at a time when she is virtually new to the radio business.  Those who have influenced her and put her into this embarrassing position have damaged TRN Entertainment, and we will pursue them for their greed and other malevolent motives, so that this will be a cautionary tale, not to be repeated.

We continue to believe in Andrea’s brilliance on air and believe that she is at heart a decent person who will eventually see the error in her current course and correct it to our mutual benefit.  I believe in her and continue to look forward to a long term relationship with her, in accordance with our existing contract which remains in full force and effect, once we sort the current manufactured intrigues out.

We also like a good fight when it is for the right reasons, and this is for all of the right reasons.

We are not vindictive, but we do look forward to catching the rats and finishing what they started.”

3 COMMENTS

  1. Mark Masters has broken several talent contracts over the past month +, without warning and without pay in some cases. He put a CANCER PATIENT out on the street without notice or the termination pay that was due. Who’s the REAL rat in this story?

  2. It is ironic that I have been ” preaching”, like Mark’s father, Roy Masters, that we need to triplecast on radio-tv-internet, and not be victimized by demographics, they are the culprits in the game, It is no longer an age set, but simply a mind set, let us make the shift and seek the solution in buying time and reaching the fluid audience.

  3. I’ve been watching TRN for a while and regardless what Mark Masters thinks, when all your top draw show hosts start bailing on you for contractual issues it’s time to examine your own business practices.

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