Hosts of the popular sports talk show "Miller and Moulton in the Afternoon," broadcast weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sports Radio ESPN 770 (WWCN-AM), the pair are living the dream of sports fans everywhere - getting paid to talk about their favorite pastimes.

"People look at us and say, 'They've got a great gig,'" Moulton said. "Our standard line is - 'It beats working for a living.'"

The ease with which Miller and Moulton interact on the air masks the difficulty that goes into crafting a successful rapport.

"I honestly believe your average sports fan could do one to two hours on the radio," Miller said. "It may not be great, but they could do it.

"We do 25 hours a week and 1,000 hours a year. That's not easy. It took a couple years for us to click, but I think we're at a point where we're doing most of those hours well."

MORE THAN SPORTS

Like millions of Americans, the 44-year-old Moulton struggles with his weight.

Unlike most - save those enterprising enough to turn their daily battle into prime-time TV programming - Moulton is subjected to public ridicule whenever he falls off the wagon and into a pizza box.

That's why the 40-year-old Miller never misses an opportunity to tweak his on-air partner.

Consider this exchange from a recent show:

Miller: You're on the brink (of a heart attack) and you're diving into a box of pizza?

Moulton: First off, I'm not at the brink. The brink is when they're taking the paddles and rubbing them together. By the way, when I get there, don't give me a hard time about pizza!

What does one man's quest for visible abs have to do with sports talk radio? The answer - everything.

To really move the ratings meter in a format that's skyrocketed since the debut of the nation's first 24-hour sports talk radio station in 1987 - WFAN in New York - hosts must be adept at discussing both LeBron and Labatt's, Favre and fitness, the World Cup and the wife's whims.

"You take the nitty, gritty sports then mix in a little guy talk," Moulton said. "We talk an awful lot about our personal lives. Our listeners know the name of my wife and kid. They know Mark is divorced. They know where we hang out.

"But the show has to be about the listeners before it's about you. They have to like you enough to care about getting to know you."

MONEY IS ELUSIVE

Moulton is the dean of local sports radio hosts, joining 770 in April, 2000. In September, 2001, the station announced its partnership with ESPN and debuted as the first all-sports radio station in Southwest Florida.

Moulton's popularity has increased significantly over the past decade. After drawing about 1,700 listeners per day on his original midday show, he and Miller pulled in an average of about 70,000 per week during last fall's ratings book, said producer and 770 program director John Cassio.

That success, however, doesn't mean the airwaves are paved with gold.

"I remember a caller was talking about how much money I made," Moulton said. "So I asked him on the air what he thought my salary was, and he said $700,000. I laughed for three minutes. When I stopped laughing, I told him if you take a zero off the end, I still don't make that and I have four jobs."

That misconception stems from the fact that 770 is an ESPN affiliate. However, all that really means is that the station can use ESPN's national programming. It doesn't have access to the sports behomoth's wealth of resources.

"770 ESPN radio is four people and two interns," Moulton said.

As the show's designated salesman, Miller spends more time wrangling advertising for the show than he does talking sports. After a daily 8:30 a.m. sales meeting, he's on the road wooing prospective clients.

In addition to his duties at 770, Moulton also broadcasts FGCU basketball and baseball, works as a spotter at CBS college football games in the fall and writes a regular newspaper column.

"Nobody's getting rich doing what we do," Moulton said. "I was 33 before I made my age."
BUILDING A BRAND

Fresh off an eight-year stint as the voice of the Florida Everblades, Miller joined 770 in March 2005, hosting a solo morning show.

After some prodding from Moulton, the pair teamed up 18 months later.

"I felt that for the station to become big, there needed to be more than one voice in afternoon drive," Moulton said. "The market was too big for one guy's voice to be the opinion for Southwest Florida."

The partnership between self-described "smartass" Miller and walking sports encyclopedia Moulton proved to be a perfect fit.

"I'm the goober element of the show, and Mark is the more carefree sports fan," Moulton said. "He's the perfect foil for me. Four years later, he's lightened me up and I've softened him up."

Their comfort with each other means no intense pre-show planning sessions are necessary. Miller, Moulton are Cassio get together just moments before the show to review what's on tap.

According to Miller, the less preparation that goes into a show, the better it will be.

"When the show ends Friday, we don't talk to each other or see each other until Monday," Miller said. "We don't hang out. That's helps keep things fresh."