OMEN
09-28-2007, 08:47 AM
Los Angeles - When it comes to what pays on US television, talk doesn't come cheap - nor apparently does a loud mouth.
Financial magazine Forbes published on Thursday a list of highest paid TV celebrities with daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey leading the way by earning an $260m between June 2006 and June 2007. Nobody else came close.
Second in the list was Jerry Seinfeld earning $60m.
Winfrey was joined at the top of the list by another talk show host, David Letterman, who landed at No. 4 by raking in $40m in the same period from his show Late Night with David Letterman.
Simon Cowell, the arrogant and harshly critical judge on top-rated talent show American Idol earned $45m to land at No 3, and Donald Trump, whose boisterous exclamation "You're fired" from reality show The Apprentice became part of the pop culture lexicon, was No 5 with $32m.
The list shows that in the media arena, it pays to own and produce either all or part of your shows, like Oprah.
That notion becomes abundantly clear in the No 2 slot where Jerry Seinfeld sits with $60m mostly from reruns of his co-owned 1990's sitcom Seinfeld.
Despite the fact that prime-time TV shows win awards and critical acclaim, Forbes Senior Editor Lea Goldman noted that daytime TV and news is where stars rake in the dough.
"Daytime personalities dominate our list of TV's top earners, with most competition among morning and afternoon talk show hosts," said Goldman.
Barbara Walters, another star who owns and co-produces her daytime show The View, landed at No 18 with $12m.
The top 20 is as follows:
1. Oprah Winfrey, $260m
2. Jerry Seinfeld, $60m
3. Simon Cowell, $45m
4. David Letterman $40m
5. Donald Trump, $32m
6. Jay Leno, $32m
7. Dr Phil McGraw, $30m
8. "Judge" Judy Sheindlin, $30m
9. George Lopez, $26m
10. Kiefer Sutherland, $22m
11. Regis Philbin, $21m
12. Tyra Banks, $18m
13. Rachael Ray, $16m
14. Katie Couric, $15m
15. Ellen DeGeneres, $15m
16. Ryan Seacrest, $14m
17. Matt Lauer, $13m
18, Barbara Walters, $12m
19. Diane Sawyer, $12m
20. Meredith Vieira, $10m
Reuters
Financial magazine Forbes published on Thursday a list of highest paid TV celebrities with daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey leading the way by earning an $260m between June 2006 and June 2007. Nobody else came close.
Second in the list was Jerry Seinfeld earning $60m.
Winfrey was joined at the top of the list by another talk show host, David Letterman, who landed at No. 4 by raking in $40m in the same period from his show Late Night with David Letterman.
Simon Cowell, the arrogant and harshly critical judge on top-rated talent show American Idol earned $45m to land at No 3, and Donald Trump, whose boisterous exclamation "You're fired" from reality show The Apprentice became part of the pop culture lexicon, was No 5 with $32m.
The list shows that in the media arena, it pays to own and produce either all or part of your shows, like Oprah.
That notion becomes abundantly clear in the No 2 slot where Jerry Seinfeld sits with $60m mostly from reruns of his co-owned 1990's sitcom Seinfeld.
Despite the fact that prime-time TV shows win awards and critical acclaim, Forbes Senior Editor Lea Goldman noted that daytime TV and news is where stars rake in the dough.
"Daytime personalities dominate our list of TV's top earners, with most competition among morning and afternoon talk show hosts," said Goldman.
Barbara Walters, another star who owns and co-produces her daytime show The View, landed at No 18 with $12m.
The top 20 is as follows:
1. Oprah Winfrey, $260m
2. Jerry Seinfeld, $60m
3. Simon Cowell, $45m
4. David Letterman $40m
5. Donald Trump, $32m
6. Jay Leno, $32m
7. Dr Phil McGraw, $30m
8. "Judge" Judy Sheindlin, $30m
9. George Lopez, $26m
10. Kiefer Sutherland, $22m
11. Regis Philbin, $21m
12. Tyra Banks, $18m
13. Rachael Ray, $16m
14. Katie Couric, $15m
15. Ellen DeGeneres, $15m
16. Ryan Seacrest, $14m
17. Matt Lauer, $13m
18, Barbara Walters, $12m
19. Diane Sawyer, $12m
20. Meredith Vieira, $10m
Reuters