What are the top jobs in television broadcasting?

September 30, 2007

What are the top jobs in television broadcasting? According to a recent report, Rupert Murdoch the chairman and chief executive of News Corp., may have the best gig of all. This fiscal year he earned a total compensation valued at $24.3 million, per an analysis of a recent regulatory filing. Of that $24.3 million, $8.1 million was Murdoch’s salary, an increase of $3.6 million from last year.

The 76-year-old Murdoch also received a $15.8 million bonus and additional compensation of $356,175. This reportedly consisted of $337,427 in personal use of the company aircraft, $11,998 in personal use of company cars and $6,750 in retirement plan payments (err, does he really need a retirement plan?). How did others in News Corp. do in this broadcasting salary survey? Keep reading!

What are the top jobs in television broadcasting? How do they compare against your salary? Find out with PayScale’s full salary survey.

Broadcasting Salary Survey

So why did Murdoch get a salary increase of $3.6 million? News Corp.’s compensation committee said the increase was warranted because of News Corp.’s growth under Murdoch, such as the purchase of the Wall Street Journal. The committee also said that raise was instituted “for purposes of pay parity” between CEO Rupert Murdoch and COO Peter Chernin.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

Unknown Facts of Broadcasting Jobs

Before becoming the COO of News Corp., Peter Chernin was head of Fox Broadcasting and helped lead the fledgling network to great success. So how much was Peter Chernin paid as COO? He reportedly earned compensation valued at $27.4 million. The 27.4 million includes his base salary of $8.1 million and $10.4 million in bonus money, but that’s not all.

Where Can I Find Jobs in Broadcasting Like This?

Like his boss, Chernin also got additional compensation; his totaled $230,936. This consisted of $177,164 in personal use of News Corp. aircraft, $25,622 in personal use of company cars; $21,400 in country club fees and $6,750 in his retirement plan. The 56-year-old Chernin reportedly received above-market returns on deferred compensation valued at $200,909 as well as stock options valued at $8.5 million.

Google: find jobs broadcasting

Are Murdoch and Chernin worth this compensation? Love it or hate it, News Corp. has been very successful with its subsidiaries: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Broadcasting Network, Fox News Channel, Skynet in the UK, newspapers in the UK and Australia, numerous satellite channels and the always popular MySpace.com.

I can’t promise you a salary like Murdoch’s or Chernin’s, but if you’re interested in broadcasting jobs, some good web sites to check out are: TVJobs.com, EntertainmentCareers.net, ShowBizJobs.com, Mandy.com and the ever-elusive underground UTA Job List.

Should you be working for News Corp? The PayScale Salary Calculator is a quick and easy way to compare positions. When you want powerful salary data and comparisons customized for your exact position, be sure to build a complete profile by taking PayScale’s full salary survey.

Cheers,

Dr. Al Lee