Hollywood's Top-Earning Talking Heads

From daytime talk to radio squawk, these personalities are making fortunes.

by Lacey Rose, Forbes.com

posted: 202 DAYS 2 HOURS AGO

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If the earnings of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Ryan Seacrest are any indication, talk is anything but cheap.

The best-paid personalities are paid top dollar to gab, whether it be on a daytime syndicated series (Judge Judy), a late-night talk show (Jay Leno) or a highly rated radio show (Rush Limbaugh). In fact, the 12 bold-faced names on the list collectively banked $829 million between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

Take Oprah. The Queen of All Media tops the list with estimated earnings of $275 million this year, a particularly impressive sum when you consider how the industries in which she thrives -- television, radio and magazines--are faring in the face of increased competition and a dismal ad market.

In Pictures: Hollywood's 12 Top-Earning Personalities

Though ratings for Winfrey's flagship series, The Oprah Winfrey Show, continue to erode, her earning power remains remarkably resilient. In addition to her eponymous show and magazine, she has a three-year, $55 million contract with XM Satellite Radio to pad both her portfolio and her pocketbook. Her Harpo production company, which spawned the television careers of Dr. Phil McGraw and Rachael Ray, will roll out Oprah guest-turned-series host Dr. Mehmet Oz this fall. Months later, the self-made billionaire will introduce the Oprah Winfrey Network, the lifestyle-themed network in partnership with Discovery Communications.

But Oprah isn't the only star leveraging her brand and as a result growing her empire, even as the mediums in which she works shrink.

There's Dr. Phil McGraw, who places second on the list. Ratings pitfalls and eyebrow-raising bookings aside (Britney Spears and Nadya "Octomom" Suleman), the psychologist cum talk show host still managed to rake in an estimated $80 million over the 12-month period, thanks to his popular books and syndicated series.

And then there's American Idol über-judge Simon Cowell, who rounds out the top three with estimated earnings of $75 million over the course of the year. And if all goes according to plan, that haul will balloon in the coming years.

With Cowell's Idol contract set to expire after next season, the famously acerbic judge has been making noise about not renewing. According to the British press, he'd only be willing to stick with the top-rated series if his salary is boosted to upward of $100 million. Whether or not he makes such demands, many believe the series' linchpin, who also counts the similarly buzz-worthy shows X Factor and Britain's Got Talent among his offerings, will stay -- and get richer.

Cowell's fellow Idol star Ryan Seacrest scores a spot on the list as well. With estimated earnings of $38 million for the year-long period, the 34-year-old multitasker places ninth.

In addition to hosting the News Corp.-owned Fox series, the guy commonly dubbed "the hardest-working man in Hollywood" hosts a collection of radio shows, E! News, Walt Disney-owned ABC's New Year's Eve special and red-carpet events for the E! channel.

He has lucrative deals with both ClearChannel Radio (he owns and controls a portion of the advertising on his show) and the Comcast Entertainment Group (including his role as managing editor at E! News), as well as endorsement deals with Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. He also develops and produces TV shows, including E's Keeping Up With the Kardashians, NBC's Momma's Boys and the upcoming ABC unscripted series starring celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Still more impressive: Seacrest just signed a contract worth a reported $45 million to remain with Idol for three more years.

List of 12 Top-Earning Personalities:

1. Oprah Winfrey -- $275 million
2. Dr. Phil McGraw -- $80 million
3. Simon Cowell -- $75 million
4. Howard Stern -- $70 million
5. Rush Limbaugh -- $54 million
6. Donald Trump -- $50 million
7. David Letterman (tie) -- $45 million
7. Judge Judy (tie) -- $45 million
9. Ryan Seacrest -- $38 million
10. Ellen DeGeneres -- $35 million
11. Jay Leno -- $32 million
12. Tyra Banks -- $30 million

2009-07-22 14:59:20