Survey Of Public Media Salaries Lists Top Earners, Finds Gender Earning Disparity

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CURRENT.ORG has released the results of its first survey of salaries for public media executives in top 25 markets, with NEW YORK PUBLIC MEDIA's LAURA WALKER topping the compensation list with $790,115 and WHYY-TV-F/PHILADELPHIA's WILLIAM MARAZZO second at $580,000. 

The top 10 also includes WNET-TV/NEW YORK's NEAL SHAPIRO, WGBH-F-TV-WGBX-TV/BOSTON's JONATHAN ABBOTT, KERA-TV-F/DALLAS' MARY ANNE ALHADEFF, KQED-TV-F/SAN FRANCISCO's JOHN BOLAND, WETA-TV/WASHINGTON's SHARON ROCKEFELLER, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO's BILL DAVIS, OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING's STEVE BASS, and CONNECTICUT PUBLIC BROADCASTING's JERRY FRANKLIN.

Among executives of national organizations, PBS' PAULA KERGER led the field with $779,954, followed by former NPR chief GARY KNELL at $756,575, AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP's JON MCTAGGART at $595,528, the CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING's PATRICIA DE STACY HARRISON at $434,364, and PRX's JAKE SHAPIRO at $271,161.

The study noted that despite WALKER and KERGER leading their categories, women are underrepresented in management positions in public media, and tend to be underpaid relative to their male peers, paid 83 cents for every dollar male executives make.  The pay gap, the study found, drops as the overall station budget size gets smaller.

11 stations, including major players WBUR/BOSTON and WAMU/WASHINGTON, did not participate in the survey.

Read the study and analysis by clicking here.

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