CBS chief Les Moonves took an 11% reduction in compensation in 2012, but still managed to rake in $62.2 million for the year, according to a proxy statement filed late Friday.
Moonves received a base salary of $3.5 million and a $27.5 million bonus, both par with the prior year. But the media executive received about $11 million less in option awards for the period $16.3 million compared to $27.3 million in 2011.
Moonves total compensation in 2011 was $69.9 million, according to the proxy.
CBS executive chairman Sumner Redstone received $31.3 million in 2012, an $11 million raise from his prior year take of $20.3 million. However, the bulk of that gain was due to a change in the value of Redstone’s pension, which rose from $18,428 in 2011 to $13.9 million in 2012.
Rounding out the rest of the executive team, EVP and chief financial officer Joe Ianniello received $12.2 million in total compensation, up 2.5% from the $11.9 million he received in 2011; EVP and general counsel Louis Briskman received $10.9 million, up from $10.6 million in the prior year; and EVP human resources and administration Anthony Ambrosio received $4 million, up 3% from the $3.9 million he received in 2011.
Moonves’ compensation is so far the highest among top media executives, beating out Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav ($49.9 million), Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO Bob Iger ($40.2million) and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman ($33.34million).
