The Man, The Brand, The Plan To Rule TV

There is oh so much more. The young man who's been included in People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People," in Forbes's "The Celebrity 100" and declared new King of All Media by Details magazine has investments in eight Southern California restaurants, runs a half-dozen media companies and recently launched "The 'R' Line" of fashionable fashions -- "the new design project from Ryan Seacrest," though designer be he not.

Regardless, Seacrest's "stylish and accessible line of fashion is now available in stores," says the propaganda. And if there is a line of clothing, can a fragrance be far behind? "Seacrest" sounds like a natural for some peachy, beachy scent -- maybe a line of sheets and pillowcases, too. "I don't know everything, but I certainly want to try everything," says the ultra-acquisitive hotshot. "I've lived that way all my life, and it's gotten me this far."

Thus when asked whether there's anything about himself he'd like to change, he pauses longer than most of us would but finally says: "I'd like an eighth day of the week -- to go to the grocery store or take a walk on the beach, little things like that. Maybe go out and get some gas put in my cars since I don't have time." That's right, he's too busy to fill 'er up: "I have someone who fills my tank because my day is so crowded, I can't find 15 minutes to stop."

Seacrest does a daily five-hour radio show in Los Angeles. In April, he's taking three hours of that show national, via syndication, and as part of the deal -- a rather unprecedented part -- Seacrest's advertising company retains 10 minutes of the ad time on the show to sell on its own, so that the profit goes right back to Seacrest and not through any network or syndicator. Seacrest couldn't care less about rumors of his sexual relationships, because he keeps adding corporate relationships to his repertory. "Coca-Cola; that's a very good relationship. The strategy is to get them to spend dollars on our programs," he says cryptically.

"I have great relations with advertisers, so I started an advertising company to sell our own time in my shows and build that business up in the next couple of months. I have several of these little companies: Ryan Seacrest Productions, 'On Air With Ryan Seacrest,' which employs about 20 people; 'Top 40' radio has a staff of about 15; there's Sea Calm, which is the radio division; and Seacrest Sales, which is our sales division. I try to run it lean but efficient.

"The challenge for me is taking all these parts and figuring out how they can come together to make a big media company," he says. The next Rupert Murdoch? Combined with the next Walt Disney? Whatever it takes, he's ready to give it.

"A lot of people are complacent," Seacrest says. "They're happy with their jobs and can make a good living doing that. I'm not like that. I have 10 jobs. I never want to lose one. I also run my organization like a general. I'm involved in every contract, I read every word. I do like that -- I like the business."

It shouldn't be surprising, given all that, that Ryan Seacrest has now trademarked his own name. That's not part of an ego trip, he says: "The content of the shows and the platforms have 'Ryan Seacrest' as part of the title," hence making his name into a trademark.

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When Seacrest says he wants to be the Dick Clark, Larry King and Merv Griffin for a new generation, he does seem to mean all of them at once -- and whomever else he can add to the list. He's guest-hosted for King on CNN and says Larry is quite comfortable with that: "If he ever goes, he's said that he'd like for me to take over," says Seacrest (Larry King -- go?). "I've hosted his show several times. He and I are very good friends. Very friendly. I know his whole story. I know Miami, Washington, Sinatra -- I've got all those stories. He is great. He's an American character.

"And he's been doing it so long."