• BusinessWeek, Thursday, September 17, 2009 9:47 AM

Roger Ailes, the former media consultant for Ronald Reagan who runs Fox News and other News Corp. TV properties, collected almost $24 million last year in salary, bonuses, stock grants and benefits. That's nearly $2 million more than his boss CEO Rupert Murdoch, per a company proxy statement.

Ailes is crucial to News Corp. because he has created a money-generating machine out of Fox News, which is the third-most-watched cable channel during prime time. Last year, the channel's cash flow spiked about 65% to $502.6 million. That included big hikes in the fees that cable and satellite operators pay to carry it.

In contrast, Murdoch's bonus was tied to the company's earnings per share. As a result, the CEO's bonus fell by more than 60% "due to the negative impact of global economic conditions on the company's fiscal 2009 performance," says the company.

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