Who Are The Highest Paid TV Stars?

JULY 26, 2007: The highest paid "Desperate Housewife" shares the same position with the most expensive "Grey's Anatomy" star on the just released chart of top paid entertainers in the TV industry.

According to this week's TV Guide, "Grey's" star Ellen Pompeo (snapped yesterday at "The Bourne Ultimatum" premiere in LA) who plays the titular character on the show and the recently wed "Desperate Housewife" Eva Longoria both earn $200,000 per episode giving them #7 on the chart of the highest paid TV stars.



The top prime-time position went to William Petersen of CBS CSI who earns half a million USD per episode.

The highest paid TV ceebrity overall is of course talk queen Oprah Winfrey with an unbelievable $260 million per year.

The highest paid news anchor is the lowest-rated one: Katie Couric who moved from NBC's Today to CBS Evening News earns $15 million per year.

Here are the charts:


TOP FIVE (all salaries are per year)

Oprah Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"): $260 million

Simon Cowell ("American Idol"): $45 million

Judge Sheindlin ("Judge Judy"): $30 million

Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News Anchor"): $15 million

Zach Braff ("Scrubs"): $6.3 million


NETWORK PRIME TIME (all salaries are per episode)

William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000

Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000

Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000

Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000

Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000

Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"): $225,000

Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000

Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000


DAYTIME (all salaries are per year)

Judge Judy: $30 million

Bob Barker: $10 million

Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million

Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million

Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million

Tyra Banks: $3.5 million


NEWS ANCHORS (all salaries are per year)

Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million

Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million

Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million

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Ellen Pompeo Hosts Confidential Magazine Pre-Emmy Party in L.A.

"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo who graces the cover of the latest edition of Los Angeles-based Confidential Magazine hosted the annual pre-Emmy party in Hollywood last night sponsored by the publication.



Pompeo gives the magazine an interview for the cover page feature "Grey is the New Black" in which she reveals she has just committed to the seventh season of the show and also talks about her upcoming wedding to fiance Chris Ivery, the Isaiah Washington controversy, her slim appearance, having children, Hollywood awards shows and what she will be wearing to the Emmys this Sunday.



Check out the full interview by clicking HERE. Pompeo's "Grey's Anatomy" co-stars Eric Dane (with wife Rebecca Gayheart) and Sandra Oh also made an appearance at the star-studded event last night.

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Ellen Pompeo's Tearful Farewell to Dogs

Three weeks are left before the cast of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" gets back in front of cameras to start filming the fourth season of the mega-popular drama, so the summer holidays are full in swing.


Principal star Ellen Pompeo joined her fiancee Chris Ivery in a black limousine on Friday afternoon as they headed for the airport, but not before she said a tearful goodbye to her dogs as she handed them over to her assistant.



The globe-trotting cast is using the production hiatus to relax and travel as the writing stuff puts finishing touches on the first couple of episodes of the next season.


Pompeo has been dating Ivery for over 4 years and she recently told Extra Magazine they are planning a small, non-extravagant wedding, somewhere far away from the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles.

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Ellen Pompeo Radiates Chic

First this whole spin-off thing, then Izzy hooks up with George and now Chyler Leigh may be joining ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" to tempt Dr. McDreamy into cheating on Meredith? Shonda Rhimes is really pushing the envelope this time.


Here are now a few more shots of the beautiful Ellen Pompeo who plays Meredith Grey at Monday's Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala sparkling her way through the bash with fiance, record producer Chris Ivery by her side.

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Costume Institute 2007 Gala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala "Poiret: King Of Fashion" took place at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night and here are some of the TV celebrities who took part in the event.

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Ellen Pompeo Enjoying "Grey's" Hiatus

ABC's hit drama "Grey's Anatomy" has wrapped up production of the 3rd season and its star actress Ellen Pompeo who plays the title character is already enjoying the hiatus spending time pampering herself.


The actress, who was snapped on Thursday in Hollywood after she got out of a beauty salon, has had a very successful season. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and then got a retroactive salary bump to almost $200,000 per episode.

Who needs a freaking spin-off?

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Ellen Pompeo & Kate Walsh Film "Grey's Anatomy" Finale

ABC has released official details for the 3rd season finale episode of "Grey's Anatomy" titled "Didn't We Almost Have It All" as the show stars Ellen Pompeo and Kate Walsh and the rest of the cast put finishing touches on the episode set to air May 17.

According to the network, Cristina and Burke's wedding day arrives in the eventful episode, along with the interns' first exam results and a successor to the Chief. Meanwhile, Callie and George make a big decision about their relationship.

As for the guest stars, Diahann Carroll ("Dynasty") returns as Preston's mother Jane Burke, Loretta Devine ("Crash") as Adele Webber And Elizabeth Reaser ("Sweet Land") as Ava/Jane Doe.

The show stars Ellen Pompeo and Kate Walsh were snapped on the set of the drama on Monday.

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Ellen Pompeo, Hayden Panettiere, Nicolette Sheridan at Academy Awards

It may not have been their night, but the stars of the hottest shows on television were giving fellow big screen actors a run for their money at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Hollywood last night.

Take a look at Ellen Pompeo of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (with fiance Chris Ivery), teenage Hayden Panettiere of NBC's breakout smash "Heroes" and Desperate Housewife Nicolette Sheridan with on-and-off fiance Michael Bolton.

Check more Academy Awards Fashion Highlights

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Ellen Pompeo Does "Playboy" 20Q

Ellen Pompeo, the star of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy", appears in the January issue of Playboy magazine in the saucy 20Q section and reveals the actress she'd most like to make out with is the gorgeous Angelina Jolie.

Ellen also addresses questions about her weight, a common topic in the Hollywood community, saying she pays her trainer $1,000 a week to make her look bigger.


The actress, who was recently photographed shopping for fresh fruit, vegetables and pasta in Beverly Hills also appears in the December issue of Allure magazine, revealing her craving for cranberry muffins.

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Isaiah Washington Gets "Gay Friendly"
McCuddly & His Boyfriend?

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Ellen Pompeo Engaged

Ellen Pompeo, the star of TV's "Grey's Anatomy" will marry her real-life McDreamy, record producer Chris Ivery. The actress, whose character Meredith resisted the charms of resident male slut Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan to end up in the arms of the fictional McDreamy in last week's episode, celebrated her 37th birthday on Friday.

38-year old Ivery proposed to Pompeo with a 3.5-carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum Tacori ring.

The two both grew up outside of Boston, but had not known each other before they began dating in 2003.

Ivery spent 14 months in federal prison for postal theft and credit card fraud in 1994.

No wedding date has been set.

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See more news on Grey's Anatomy:
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