2008 Races: Fox News Blogger, Ex-NYT'er, Media Folk Giving to Pols, PACs

It's never too early to start following the corporate media money in the next election cycle.

PoliticalMoneyLine recently launched a search engine for 2007-2008 races and I used it to search for any donations by media people of all sorts. No marquee name reporters or top corporate media owners turned up, this early in the next election cycle. And of the donations here, none went to a presidential hopeful.

The records here are a definite yawner, but I think show the necessity of keeping tabs on people in the news room deciding what get covered in print or on air, and also watching the giving of executives on the corporate side of news outlets.

What do we have here?

The biggest fish from the expedition was the contribution from Martin Frost, a Fox News blogger and it was to a congressional candidate. A former foreign correspondent for the NY Times made gave to the DNC. A local TV weatherman, who has an extensive record of giving, wrote a check to the Democrats, as did a food/life styles reporter for Chicago Magazine, and two corporate executives made small donations.

Expect to see many more such contributions as the next election cycle drags on and on and on ...

From FEC files:

Frost, Martin Rep

12/6/2006 $1,000.00

Fort Worth, TX 76140

Fox News/Political Commentator

[Contribution] CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ FOR CONGRESS

Fowle, Farnsworth

1/19/2007 $230.00

Bronx, NY 10463

The New York Times/Retired Reporter

[Contribution] DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Norcross, Bryan S Mr.

1/23/2007 $5,000.00

Miami Beach, FL 33139

CBS/Meteorologist

[Contribution] DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

ROHDE, JILL

1/23/2007 $300.00

CHICAGO, IL 60614

Chicago Magazine/Writer

[Contribution] DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Major, Brenda

1/27/2007 $250.00

New York, NY 10024

ABC Television Network/corporate events

[earmarked intermediary treasury out] ACTBLUE

Manze, Vincent

1/19/2007 $216.00

Burbank, CA 91523

NBC/Universal/President Nbc Agency

[Contribution] GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

NPR's $300,000-Plus Hosts, According to IRS Return

The last time I looked at the salaries of NPR hosts and executives, as listed on the radio news outlet's IRS 990 forms, was back in November 2004.

Sure, the compensation packages and salaries were very generous, and I'm not the least bit surprised the NPR folks have increased their pay.

Although seeing rather enormous salaries and packages in the nonprofit news radio world gives me reason to consider how high the compensation must be at for-profit private radio news stations.

Here are the figures from the latest IRS 990 form for National Public Radio, FY 2005, just for the top five on-air hosts:

Renee Montagne
Compensation: $308,374
Contributions to benefit plan: $30,640

Steve Inskeep
Compensation: $301,856
Contributions to benefit plan: $35,572

Robert Siegel
Compensation: $288,795
Contribution to benefit plan: $24,480

Scott Simon
Compensation: $266,821
Contribution to benefit plan: $33,572

Alexander Chadwick
Compensation: $235,173
Contribution to benefit plan: $29,564

Comparable information for the executives of NPR is also presented in the IRS return and is similarly high, which you can read by clicking here.