EDDIE McGuire and Rove McManus are Australian TV's seven-figure stars, leading the list of local small-screen celebrity pay packets by several million dollars.

Despite his reduced workload, McGuire collars around $4 million of year, while McManus cops $3 million for hosting and producing his talk show, among others, for Ten. 

Their salaries represent television's high-water mark and, with the networks now looking to cut costs, may not be matched for many years.

Next on a list of TV's big earners compiled by The Sunday Telegraph, - but on comparatively tiny money - is Home And Away stalwart Ray Meagher, who is said to earn $500,000 for being Alf Stewart.

The story of how Meagher negotiated his still-considerable salary has a twist worthy of a television script, according to a former Home And Away employee.

"Quite a few years ago on Home And Away, at the time the Bobbys (Nicolle Dickson) and the Roos (Justine Clarke) were leaving, a memo was sent around to the production office people stating, 'Don't let the old bastards go'," he said.

"Someone in their wisdom took this memo and attached it to the front of every script, which is then circulated to every actor in the show. Ray and Judy Nunn and Norman Coburn among others sat down together and did a group negotiation and had (Seven) over a barrel."

Others in TV's $500,000 plus a year club include Nine's morning show host Kerri-Anne Kennerley and breakfast show hosts Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic (Nine) and Melissa Doyle and David Koch (Seven).

While the commercial networks refused to confirm the sums being dished out to their key stars, Watercooler Talent's David Wilson said many on-air presenters and actors were achieving six figures.

"There's a lot of on-camera people on television and they come in tiers," Wilson, who represents Idol's Ian "Dicko" Dickson among others, said.

"And, yes, that middle band in which they earn six figures is certainly the most populated."

While Wilson refused to comment on Dickson's wage for the four months he works on the Network Ten talent show, another leading agent - who declined to be named - said Idol's key talent earned between $300,000 and $350,000.

"Andrew G makes the lesser end of that mark but the judges are all sitting around the 350 (thousand) mark," the agent said.

He also refuted claims dumped Idol judge Kyle Sandilands was making $1 million a year on the program, as was heavily reported at the time of his axing.

"I would always question that that ever existed," he said. "I just don't believe that figure to be possible out of that program.

"If you're paying a million a year for Kyle you need your head read."

One who is most certainly making millions, however, is Rove.

"With him it really is like asking how long is a ball of string?" said another leading agent.

"As talent alone, that is, fronting Rove, he's said to be making a million. And then you have to factor in his role as EP and producing his various other projects."

Another big earner is Rebecca Gibney, star of Packed To The Rafters on $500,000. Relative newcomers Sonia Kruger (Dancing With The Stars), Natalie Bassingthwaighte (So You Think You Can Dance) and actresses Jessica Marais (Rafters) and Jodi Gordon (Home And Away) are lagging behind.

"Sure, they're not making what Gibney does, which is about 500K a year, but she's been around a long time and has a massive following," the agent said.

"Sonia makes about $350,000 a season, Nat gets 200K for Dance, while Jess and Jodi would all sit around the $3500 to $5000 a week for their work."

Marais is believed to earn up to $140,000 a year for Rafters, while Gordon's turn on the Seven soap nets her between $160,000 and $230,000.

Mr Wilson said that not all on-air personalities are rolling in cash.

"I know a lot of people on weekly programs who are in the five-figure bracket," Wilson said.

While MasterChef proved the year's smash hit, one agent said the program's judges - George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston - and host Sarah Wilson remained on relatively small industry salaries.

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