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Oprah tops list of highest paid TV stars
2007-07-25
Talk might be cheap, but Oprah is not, topping a list of the highest-paid television stars in the United States. Oprah Winfrey, host and supervising producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," earns an estimated $260 million a year, according to a list in TV Guide magazine's July 23 issue. Music producer Simon Cowell, the blunt and often contentious British judge of "American Idol," placed a distant second to Winfrey, with $45 million for his role on the Fox network's smash hit talent show and other projects. Courtroom chief Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin), CBS News anchor Katie Couric and "Scrubs" actor Zach Braff round out the top five. The list breaks down star salaries by category -- prime-time TV, daytime, cable and news with a partial listing below: TOP FIVE (all salaries are per year) Oprah Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"): $260 million Simon Cowell ("American Idol"): $45 million Judge Sheindlin ("Judge Judy"): $30 million Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News Anchor"): $15 million Zach Braff ("Scrubs"): $6.3 million NETWORK PRIME TIME (all salaries are per episode) William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000 Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000 Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000 Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000 Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000 Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"): $225,000 Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000 Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000 DAYTIME (all salaries are per year) Judge Judy: $30 million Bob Barker: $10 million Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million Tyra Banks: $3.5 million NEWS ANCHORS (all salaries are per year) Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million
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