*It should come as no surprise that Oprah Winfrey is the top earning television star in the U.S., with a $260 million yearly salary as host and supervising producer of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
According to a list in TV Guide magazine’s current issue,“American Idol’s” Simon Cowell ranks second with $45 million, followed by Judge Judy (Sheindlin) at $30 million, “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric at $15 million and “Scrubs” star Zach Braff at No. 5 with $6.3 million.
Following Oprah, Tyra Banks is the 7th highest paid daytime star on television, with an annual salary of $3.5 million.