|
Highest paid TV personalities
Forbes has released their annual list of the Highest Paid TV Personalities, and, coincidentally it also happens to match up with Bullett Media’s list of the 10 People We’d Like to Clothesline Into a Volcano of Lava Bees. Topping the list is Simon Cowell, the man who popularized American Idol, X Factor, One Direction, and Self-Satisfied British Shit-Eating, and Howard Stern, who definitely didn’t make $95 million as a host on America’s Got Talent, so that’s a bullshit spot on the list. I’m starting to think this isn’t a peer-reviewed scientific study. Jesus, looking over the rest of these names here. Just try to find one person on it, save Ellen perhaps, who you would go to the trouble of rolling over onto their stomachs if you walked in to see them choking on their own vomit. Job listing: Be a Smarmy **** on TV. Salary: Tens of millions. What a world. 1) (tie) Simon Cowell – $95 million 1) (tie) Howard Stern – $95 million 3) Glenn Beck – $90 million 4) Oprah Winfrey – $77 million 5) Dr. Phil – $72 million 6) Rush Limbaugh – $66 million 7) Donald Trump – $63 million 8) Ryan Seacrest – $61 million 9) Ellen DeGeneres – $56 million 10) Judge Judy – $47 million |
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
I honestly didn't even know Glenn Beck was still on TV. It's absurd he makes $90M.
Howard Stern's salary is mostly from Sirius XM. I think he made $20M for AGT last year. In any case, it's completely wrong to say his TV salary is $95M. If NBC was paying anything close to that kind of money, AGT would be on in the Fall when TV revenue is much higher. I think this list is total media salary, not TV income like it says. In any case, it shows what we all already know : the real money is in producing TV shows, not starring in them. |
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
I'm surprised that Stern > Oprah.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Maybe they're factoring on personalities that are also on TV shows cause a majority of them Seacrest, Stern, Limbaugh, Beck, and even Oprah have radio shows.
I'm kind of surprised Seth MacFarlane isn't listed. |
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Stern's number must have his radio salary added in. He supposedly makes around $15M for AGT. He also does have his HowardTV stuff so whatever he makes from that should be counted, but there's no way he makes $80M from just that. Also his radio salary is rumored to be around $40M now under his current contract.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Red Dog
(Post 11793122)
I'm surprised that Stern > Oprah.
Originally Posted by windom
(Post 11793149)
Stern's number must have his radio salary added in. He supposedly makes around $15M for AGT. He also does have his HowardTV stuff so whatever he makes from that should be counted, but there's no way he makes $80M from just that. Also his radio salary is rumored to be around $40M now under his current contract.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 11793118)
I honestly didn't even know Glenn Beck was still on TV. It's absurd he makes $90M.
Howard Stern's salary is mostly from Sirius XM. I think he made $20M for AGT last year. In any case, it's completely wrong to say his TV salary is $95M. If NBC was paying anything close to that kind of money, AGT would be on in the Fall when TV revenue is much higher. I think this list is total media salary, not TV income like it says. In any case, it shows what we all already know : the real money is in producing TV shows, not starring in them. |
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Fucking Ryan Seacrest is making $61M? I may kill myself over this. He's a host...a goddamn host. He does nothing that a million other people couldn't do.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Owning your own radio show and getting ratings is a highly lucrative business. The next biggest source of income? A syndicated talk show on television.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Osiris3657
(Post 11793323)
Fucking Ryan Seacrest is making $61M? I may kill myself over this. He's a host...a goddamn host. He does nothing that a million other people couldn't do.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Nausicaa
(Post 11793279)
Just want to say this is one of the totally debased aspects of AGT, American Idol, X Factor, and similar shows. Howard gets $20 million, and while he may be the highest paid on the panel, all of them are probably pulling in $10 million+. And there they are, judging people for the chance to win a mere $1 million, paid as an annuity over some ungodly period of time. It makes it really difficult to watch sometimes, when you see Howard saying things like, "I don't know - is this really a million dollar act, when he's getting paid 20 times that in a single year to ask the question. If they are paying the people this much money, I think it would be so much better if those funds were distributed among contestants. Just have more and bigger prizes. It all feels kind of exploitative.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
How is Rush Limbaugh a TV personality?
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Simon Cowell will drop from the top spot since nobody watches AI anymore and the X Factor is a dud in the U.S.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Osiris3657
(Post 11793323)
Fucking Ryan Seacrest is making $61M? I may kill myself over this. He's a host...a goddamn host. He does nothing that a million other people couldn't do.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Osiris3657
(Post 11793323)
Fucking Ryan Seacrest is making $61M? I may kill myself over this. He's a host...a goddamn host. He does nothing that a million other people couldn't do.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Jason
(Post 11793940)
Like the others on that list are anything special?
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 11793620)
He's Executive Producer of the Kardashian show. That's where (at least half) of the money comes from.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
The list makes very little sense particularly in light of the absence of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld who we know rake in giant money on an annual basis in syndication and other sales. If it weren't for Rush Limbaugh's presence on the list, I'd assert perhaps that is because Jerry at least isn't on TV a ton. They're figuring this in a very strange way.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Just wanted to correct something I said earlier. Stern's salary is rumored to be $80 million under his current contract down from $100 million under his previous contract. So that must be how they got $95 million, $80M from SiriusXM + $15M from AGT. They probably don't have any idea how much he makes from HowardTV...I assume that that's separate from his SiriusXM salary. I guess they can consider his SiriusXM salary to be what he gets paid while making HowardTV, but it really shouldn't be considered part of his income from TV.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Since I didn't read the actual article, does it say these are the people getting paid the most from TV work, or is it personalities who are on TV but are the the highest total earners no matter the source?
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
All I've seen of those people when I'm not visiting my parents (Mom watching Oprah/Dr Phil) is Oprah gifs and stupid ass RTs of Trump drivel. Maybe a YT Ellen interview at some point.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
I thought neither Beck nor Limbaugh have a TV show. Just a syndicated radio show and website subscription revenue.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Jason
(Post 11793940)
Like the others on that list are anything special?
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
That list is fucking depressing.
|
Re: Highest paid TV personalities
Originally Posted by Cellar Door
(Post 11794887)
That list is fucking depressing.
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:42 PM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.