Nice Work If You Can Get It

Don · Jun 14, 2014

Chelsea Clinton earned an annual salary of $600,000 at NBC News before switching to a month-to-month contract earlier this year, sources with knowledge of the agreement told POLITICO.

Clinton, who joined NBC News as a special correspondent in November 2011, was up for renewal or nonrenewal this year. Instead, the sources said, the network decided to keep her on the payroll on a month-to-month basis so the two parties could sever ties if Clinton’s mother, Hillary Clinton, runs for president.

I never realized talking heads made that kind of money. I guess I picked the wrong career.

OTOH, I'm sure her insightful analysis and trenchant commentary is worth every penny in revenues.

Analysis indicates that was $26,724 for each minute of airtime.

But she's been doing critical reporting to earn the big bucks.

Clinton's 14 past appearances identified by Business Insider included news segments where she interviewed the Geico gecko and feel-good "Making a Difference" pieces like one on foster grandparents and another on a program to provide therapy dogs to soldiers. She was also interviewed by other NBC reporters about her charity work and role in President Barack Obama's inauguration. In total, Clinton's segments from the past 2 years and seven months lasted just shy of 58 minutes.

William Haskins · Jun 14, 2014

she was doing her best to hold the family together, don.

they were dead broke.

Wilde_at_heart · Jun 14, 2014

A friend of mine used to work for a very large ad agency. They hired the wife of a client for some absolutely 'fluff' but very well paid job doing ... not much of anything. Needless to say, he tired of being their primary workhorse and left.

My point, nepotism of any sort - the old who you know, not what you know - happens a lot. Must be nice, yes, and I'd like to think that the odds they'd be shovelling dirt or slinging burgers for a living if it wasn't for that 'who' haunts them in their sleep, but it probably doesn't...

ETA: I probably wouldn't even be that bothered by it, except that in my experience those types tend to be the most obnoxiously sanctimonious about the value of hard work, etc.. Clinton undoubtedly knows better than that, but plenty of 'sons of' that I've met over the years are the first to berate the unemployed as lazy ...

dfwtinman · Jun 14, 2014

Jenna Bush Hager, younger of the sororal twins of Bush 43, is, among other things, a special correspondent for NBC's Today Show and a contributor to NBC Nightly News.

Hmmm, I wonder if Natasha or Malia Ann needs an agent?

clintl · Jun 14, 2014

Why are you concerned with what someone else makes in profession that pays well in general at that level?

FWIW, Jenna Bush also reports occasionally for NBC, doing similar kinds of stories.

I don't have a problem with either one doing it, and I don't care what they make. That's entirely a matter between them and NBC.

Williebee · Jun 14, 2014

*looks at the URL up above.*

Oh yeah. This is a writer's site. That it pays to have a platform is still not news. Regularly frustrating perhaps, but not news.

Don · Jun 14, 2014

I think what really surprises me is she hasn't done a segment on income inequality.

For comparison

On-air reporters at the major networks start at about $75,000 to $100,000 and go as high as $300,000.

That $300,000 is for a White House correspondent.

clintl · Jun 14, 2014

Have you watched NBC to see what kinds of stories she and Jenna have done? They've mostly been doing upbeat human interest stories about people doing very successful and inspiring charitable work. Except for the one Jenna did interviewing her father about his paintings recently. They're not there to do hard news.

It's not like Chelsea is the first presidential offspring to have a lucrative opportunity dangled in front of her, and decided to take it. It's certainly not any worse than W. getting to be the owner of the Texas Rangers primarily because of the family connections.

cornflake · Jun 14, 2014

Why is this surprising? She's a get; the salary isn't that big, imo, for on-air and a name. As noted, Jenna Bush has an even fluffier role (which makes sense given their relative educational, experience, and work backgrounds).

rugcat · Jun 14, 2014

News channels are not about news. They are like all other channels about ratings and ad revenue.

That's why pro sports figures with name recognition are given spots on sports channels as color commentators or sideline interviewers or anywhere else they can fit them in. Viewers tend to want to watch them and hear what they have to say, rather than listening to an unknown whatever their expertise and insight may provide.

If they're not very good at the job, they are given coaching, training, and helped out to get them up to speed. Why? Because people will watch them.

Chelsea Clinton has very high name recognition and generates public interest. The money they give her reflects what they believe her value is to the bottom line of the station – whether that assessment is correct or incorrect is a different matter.

Celia Cyanide · Jun 14, 2014

There is a LOT of nepotism in television in general.

Shaba · Jun 15, 2014

I have nothing useful to add, I just wanted to say great song Don. I enjoy the Sinatra version.

Nice Work If You Can Get It

Don

All Living is Local

William Haskins

poet

Wilde_at_heart

υπείκωphobe

dfwtinman

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

clintl

Represent.

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Don

All Living is Local

clintl

Represent.

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

Celia Cyanide

Joker Groupie

Shaba

Nice Work If You Can Get It

All Living is Local

poet

&#965;&#960;&#949;&#943;&#954;&#969;phobe

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

Represent.

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

All Living is Local

Represent.

practical experience, FTW

Lost in the Fog

Joker Groupie

υπείκωphobe