Is 'Rocketboom' Gig The Highest Paid Job In Web TV?

Who said you can’t make money with a web series? Add one more item to the list of moneymakers: hosting Rocketboom. Andrew Baron and the team behind the long running daily internet news web series have launched an international talent search for two new anchors, one in New York and one on their new Los Angeles desk, offering up a base salary of $80,000 plus a $10k signing bonus and even a 3% of all ad revenues. Add to that paid travel, a company Macbook and even a O-1 Visa if you’re not American. Not bad for a 30-hour a week gig.

The obvious question here is how much money is Rocketboom making that it can spend nearly $200,000 a year just on the on-air talent? It’s hard to say, the show is repped by top-dog agency CAA and inked a seven-figure distribution deal with Sony, but actual numbers are held close to the chest. I asked Baron about this and it’s clear he wants the best.

“This is actually a very demanding position and we are prepared to pay for people who will go the extra mile to make it happen for themselves,” Baron told us.

He added that making the search public has helped amass a better talent pool and hopefully make more informed decisions. “We have been paying very close attention to our audience – they have been sending in tons of email, leaving comments and rallying friends to make their voices heard – it’s really awesome!,” Baron added. “This is one of the most helpful ways of discovery. And at the end of the day, we will know when we find that person.”

Currently there are over 120 submissions to fill the seats once graced by Amanda Congdon, Joanne Colan and current host Caitlin Hill. Notable names on the publicly viewable talent submissions include former Mahalo Daily host Leah D’Emilio, current Mahalo host Lon Harris, web host Sarah Atwood and actress and Hot Sluts star Beth Dover. And there’s also this guy, who wins best photo.

The Craigslist Ad posting:

Rocketboom is a daily internet news and variety show in search of two anchors for our East Coast desk and our new West Coast desk (two positions available).

Responsibilities include both appearing on camera and contributing behind the scenes to Rocketboom, as well as contributing to our other shows, including Know Your Meme, our Rocketboom Tech show, and our Human Wire international field reports.

Base Salary:
$80,000 per year, including health insurance. $10k upon signing. Additional 3% bonus of all advertising revenue.
Time Commitment:
Aprrox 25-30 hours per week. Recording sessions will occur in 2-3 hour blocks, up to four times per week. Additional shoots may happen in and around the studio. Time at the office, while not recording, will be spent developing content ideas for Rocketboom and contributing creatively to the Rocketboom blog, the Rocketboom Facebook account, commenting on videos, etc. The ability to travel internationally for unique episodes, events, conferences, etc. (paid for by Rocketboom) is required. Vacation time will include three paid weeks away from work for the year.

Location:
New York City or Los Angeles – Our NYC anchor will work with our writers and producers in our Manhattan Soho studio. Our Los Angeles anchor will work from our new Venice Beach studio in collaboration with the producer of Epic Fu. Rocketboom received the first ever O-1 Visa for an internet video star and will thus consider any international applicant, though all applicants must be willing to live in New York City or Los Angeles for at least one year. Personal office space and a computer (Mac) will also be provided.

Non Exclusive:
Rocketboom requires first priority on all commitments, however we support your ability to work on projects outside of Rocketboom. The more you do for yourself, the more it will consequently help both you and Rocketboom. We will also encourage you to maintain your own personal web presence including your website, twitter account, youtube channel, etc. Rocketboom will make available design/dev for your personal website at no cost.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a photo, resume and any video links you may have to demonstrate your work to:
http://talentsearch.rocketboom.com/