According to Ad Age, Comcast Corp. President CEO Brian L. Roberts’ total compensation for 2004 was $33.5 million, making him the highest paid media executive in the magazine’s survey.
Roberts and his rival James O. Robbins, president-CEO of Cox Communications, who was paid $29.4 million, beat out such well-known luminaries as Sumner Redstone, chairman-CEO of Viacom, ($28.3 million) and Rupert Murdoch, the chairman-CEO of News Corp. ($23.6 million). Walt Disney Co. President-CEO Robert Iger made $11.9 million. Mel Karmazin, with his move to Sirius Satellite Radio, was paid $14.3 million in 2004.
Out of the publicly traded magazine companies, the highest paid executive by far was Harold McGraw III, chairman-CEO of McGraw-Hill, with $16.7 million. Meredith Corp. Chairman-CEO William Kerr took home $4.41 million, while newcomer Susan Lyne, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia president-CEO, made $4.29 million.
E.W. Scripps President-CEO Kenneth Lowe earned $6.23 million to top the newspaper pile; Gannett Co.’s former President-CEO Douglas H. McCorkindale made $5.84 million; and Lee Enterprises Chairman-President Mary Junck was compensated with $5.24 million. Tribune Co.’s former Chairman-CEO Dennis J. FitzSimons took home $4.72 million. All of those smaller players beat out New York Times Co. former President-CEO Russell T. Lewis’ $2.35 million, and Dow Jones & Co. Chairman-CEO Peter Kann’s $2.9 million.
