One of the most celebrated broadcast journalists of her time, Barbara Walters paved the way for women to have more power and a bigger voice in broadcasting. She hosted several TV shows, including The View, Today, ABC Evening News, and 20/20. Walters started as a writer and segment producer of interest stories involving women on the NBC News morning program The Today Show with Hugh Downs and later with Frank McGee. When McGee passed away, Walters became the co-host of the program—a first for a woman on an American news program.
She was also the first woman to co-anchor on the evening news when she worked with Harry Reasoner on ABC Evening News. Walters also created and was a co-host of The View and was named on TV Guide as one of the “50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.” In late 2022 she sadly passed away.
Nancy O’Dell – $3m
Nancy O’Dell started as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in her hometown in South Carolina and later became a morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV. One of her reports was on the leniency of the police on DUI cases, which led to an investigation and resulted in authorities implementing a strict directive on such cases. O’Dell was honored with the Best Report of the Year Award by the Associated Press.
She worked her way up the ranks and became an entertainment reporter for A Current Affair until it ended. In 1996, she joined Access Hollywood, and by 2011, she was a co-anchor of Entertainment Tonight.
Chris Matthews – $5m
Chris Matthews started with print journalism and worked in the industry for 15 years. He was the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner and was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He then became known for his hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, on MSNBC. Matthews also hosted The Chris Matthews Show for some time. He has written eight best-selling books including Elusive Hero and Hardball: How Politics is Played, Told by One Who Knows the Game.
Throughout his career, Matthews has been bestowed awards including The Pennsylvania Society’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in 2005, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, and the 2016 Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award. He also holds 34 honorary degrees from different universities and colleges.
Sam Ryan – $300k
After graduating from the New York Institute of Technology, Sam Ryan worked her way up and got herself an extensive experience by working for several news broadcasters such as ESPN, ABC, and CBS Sports. Her first few experiences were with WBAB Babylon New York, WFAN New York, and WVIT Hartford.
She joined ESPN in 2003 and CBS Sports and WCBS-TV in 2006, and eventually in MLB Network as a studio host and reporter. She appeared regularly at their productions including Quick Pitch and The Rundown. In 1999, Ryan received a local Emmy Award for “Outstanding Series Feature-soft” and another local AP award in 2000.
Scott Pelley – $5m
Scott Pelley is a prominent figure in journalism and has worked as a correspondent and anchor for CBS News for almost three decades. His first work as a broadcast journalist was at KSEL-TV (now KAMC) in 1975 before moving on to KXAS-TV and WFAA-TV. His 1985 report on Guatemalan refugees captured the interest of CBS News executives, in which he moved to four years later.
Pelley was the Chief White House Correspondent for CBS News from 1997 to1999. He was often the first to break news while covering the investigation of President Clinton. In 1999, he joined 60 Minutes, and until now, he is still a correspondent for the program. In 2011 to 2017, he served as an anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News where they earned the highest audience ratings after more than ten years.