Josh Gerstein, a former reporter for ABC News and the New York Sun, blogged about how National Public Radio -- now laying off 64 employees and shutting down two programs -- has some perhaps surprising salary figures for a somewhat public media outlet:
NPR reported its five highest paid employees were:
1. Managing Editor Barbara Rehm, $383,139
2. All Things Considered host Robert Siegel [pictured], $350,288
3. Morning Edition host Renee Montagne, $332,160
4. Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep, $331,242
5. NPR afternoon programming director Richard L. Harris, $190,267.The most eye-catching salary ever reported on an NPR tax form is probably the $505,132 paid to broadcaster Bob Edwards in FY2004, the year he was ousted as host of Morning Edition, quit, and went to XM Radio. He hosted his last NPR show in April, five months before the end of the fiscal year, so the half-million dollar salary (presumably including some kind of severance) seems to have been for just seven months work....
As someone who spent several summers interning in the newsroom at one of NPR's best stations (WBUR-FM in Boston), I think a lot of meagerly paid reporters and staffers at local NPR affiliates would find some of these salaries staggering.
On the other hand, they are surely lower than those at commercial networks. I'm also a bit surprised at the big gap between the top three on-air talents (Siegel, Montagne, Inskeep) and the other reporters and anchors, who presumably make less than Harris.
Gerstein was later told that "Harris" was not an NPR host, so why was it on the tax form? Gerstein reported a look at the latest IRS Form 990 disclosure form for NPR found these anchors didn't make much less than the top dogs (salary numbers about halfway in):
Then-president of NPR Kevin Klose made $465,994 from the network and $151,375 from the NPR foundation for a total of $617,369. Kenneth Stern, who served as CEO before leaving abruptly in March of this year, made $427,057.The 2007 return showed 15 people at NPR with the title of vice president or senior vice president. Most made between about $190,000 and $260,000.
These salaries may seem modest compared to a lot of Washington bigwigs (if not Cabinet officers and congressmen), but remember that any time NPR's taxpayer funding is threatened, we've heard stories of dire times for stations in Sitka, Alaska. Don't buy it.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Looks like
December 12, 2008 - 12:27 ET by littlemissmuffinLooks like most of these folks will be paying more taxes because they make over $250,000 per year.
"If we conservatives moved to those seven non-existent States, the government couldn’t find us and tax us to death!"
Back when I put myself
December 12, 2008 - 12:33 ET by BDBack when I put myself through college working at an NPR afiliated radio station in the 80's, our Public Radio station manager used to claim that being an NPR radio person was like being a monk in a monestary because they did it for little profit and mostly for the public good like a charitable contribution.
I remember at the time thinking "They do it because there is no where else for them to go."
I guess I was wrong. They have obviously found a way to get paid more than any Flag Officer serving on active duty.
It seems "Not for profit" can be quite profitable......
Well, now that I know
December 12, 2008 - 12:33 ET by legacyrepublicanNow that I know that Obama really was targeting the hosts of NPR, I may just reconsider changing my vote from McCain to Obama. \sarc
Tim.. Let's save some jobs at NPR - Redistribution of Wealth
December 12, 2008 - 13:15 ET by Gary HallTim.. Let's save some jobs at NPR - Obama's "Redistribution of Wealth" theme is certainly an agenda we'd expect to be actively supported by the programing at NPR.
This is a first go-around, so help here is warmly solicited. I note that amongst the 5 highest paid employees none of their names had a VP or a Pres. title associated with the name. Then you reference the 2007 return, in which there are 15 individuals with the those titles attached to their name.
Therefore, I'm going to assume that they are different individuals, and count 20 highly compensated in total. I'd bet that there are more to be found, so this should be conservative example.
Certainly NPR understands that these are difficult times, laying off EE's, and during the holidays, is indeed a very bad thing to do. So, let's play the Obama-elect redistribute the wealth game.
I'd bet that most hard working middle and lower class workers would imagine that these 20 individuals could get by on a $100,000 salary for a few years, if that would help the 64 EE's, just laid off, keep thier jobs.
If we reduce the annual salary of just these 20 to $100,000, we NPR would experience a savings of $2,962,516 annually.
NPR can now redistribute that wealth. Hire the 64 employees back and pay them an annual salary of $46,289 each. That has got to be better than being laid off. gary
Gary - Big Public Radio
December 12, 2008 - 14:01 ET by Dee BunkDoesn't want to redistribute their wealth anymore than Big Hollywood ,Big Rock Stars, Big Education or Big Main Stream Media or Big Attorneys
All of those in the protected classes above are able to make lots of money while support people make peanuts. I gues the rule is - If your job is fun, then it's okay to make lots of money. It's only when your job requires lots of personal risk, stress and sacrifice that it's bad to make big money. Big Attorneys are the one exception.
The other thing the protected class all have in common - people can't buy stock in their wealth and share in their profits.
Dee.
December 12, 2008 - 14:08 ET by Gary HallCould not agree more. (;~> gary
Oh man, Garrison Keillor is
December 12, 2008 - 13:49 ET by SickofLibsOh man, Garrison Keillor is going to be pissed.
His contract specifies he gets paid in beef jerky.
..and powder milk
December 12, 2008 - 13:58 ET by rimsky..and powder milk biscuits..
Elitest Hypocrites!
December 12, 2008 - 14:01 ET by OiznopI to worked in public radio, but when I did it, it was for free as a volunteer to get experience in the business. Then when I went to work in the real world (which NPR people don't live in) I never made more that $6.00 an hour in the field, in either the commercial end or the public end. And as a result, the business that is in my blood has left me with a very bitter impression that makes me permanently refuse to even reconsider going back into it!
Gee, do you think these all caring big government liberals at NPR would give up their over inflated salaries, and "spread their wealth" to those who struggle in the broadcast industry??? ahahahahHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yeah, right! They will go to great lengths to slant a story to satisfy their agenda, though! That being, there's we elitests, and everyone else! I close by stating that these people are grossly overpaid for what they do. Not just at NPR, but at all of the other commercial radio and TV news networks as well. Grossly Grossly Overpaid! Hey, Media Elites! how about sharing some of that wealth that your big hero President Select says we ALL should do!!!!!
What's up with this?
December 12, 2008 - 14:09 ET by JPR1The female morning host makes $918 more per year than the male host. What about that equal pay for equal work mantra? Is she worth it, or is it just a token thing? Inskeep should file suit.
NPR money
December 12, 2008 - 14:20 ET by nkviking75As someone who spent several summers interning in the newsroom at one of NPR's best stations (WBUR-FM in Boston), I think a lot of meagerly paid reporters and staffers at local NPR affiliates would find some of these salaries staggering.
And since many NPR affliliates are owned by state universities, such as is the case here in Iowa, their employees are probably paid better (often much better) in salaries and bennies than the majority of commercial radio employees.
BTW, is it really constitutional for the government to run broadcast entities that compete with the private sector for money, or for governments to have state-run news agencies? If the founders could have foreseen such a thing, I suspect it would have been banned.
Welcome to the era of unity, you racist!
With "all things considered".....
December 12, 2008 - 15:48 ET by SaluteWith "all things considered" this is another huge waste of taxpayer dollars. With about a gazillion radio and tv stations the public is still getting soaked with this antiqued version of "public radio" and "public television". Yeah, and just by chance both are totally liberal programming and conservative do NOT have a chair nor a microphone. This is taxpayer funded "fairness doctrine" in the Soviet style.
I yam what I yam....Popeye.
NPR Salaries
December 12, 2008 - 16:48 ET by buzzmagNot NPR but the guy who runs public televion's WHYY TV in Philadelphia makes $700,000 plus and of course the Philadelphia Inquirer doesn't think he is overpaid.
Absolutely unbelievable,
December 12, 2008 - 20:02 ET by bigtimerAbsolutely unbelievable, completely outragous as far as I am concerned...
Congress was going to quit funding PBS, NPR ect when Gingrich was Speaker of the House....I remember well that came to naught...
I, for one am sick and tired of tax-paying dollars being forced to pay for these leftist stations...I also know I'm not going to live long enough to see this axed...they do not need one penny from us.
Plus I am not even going to get into the ACLU and we tax-payers fund them to-boot.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Isn't socialism, for the
December 13, 2008 - 08:33 ET by nadadhimmiIsn't socialism, for the "LITTLE PEOPLE " just wonderful COMRADE? These "soft spoken" HOGS have their snouts in the public trough and are hypocrits to boot. But remember what Orwell said: some animals are more equal than others. This is truely a textbook case of the limo liberal feasting off the people they despise and denigrate, FIRE THE HOGGISH MOTHERFUCKERS.
Geranimo
December 13, 2008 - 19:52 ET by Lee BoggsEven liberals have golden parachutes.