Comcast’s Roberts paid $29 million; NBCU’s Burke got $26 million

Comcast Corp. Chief Executive Brian Roberts might run the nation’s largest entertainment and cable TV company, but he ranks in the middle of the media pack in terms of salary and perks.

Roberts received $29 million in compensation last year, an increase of 8% over 2011, according to a regulatory filing by the company Friday.

One of Roberts’ ranking lieutenants, Steve Burke, who is chief executive of NBCUniversal, got a double-digit bump. Burke received $26.3 million in compensation in 2012, an 11.3% increase over the previous year, primarily because of increases in the value of his pension.

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Burke has been busy putting out brush fires throughout NBC. He jetted from New York to Los Angeles on Palm Sunday to work out a transition plan with NBC’s “Tonight Show� host Jay Leno, who will surrender his job and the late-night crown next February to Jimmy Fallon.

Comcast assumed 100% control of NBCUniversal last month. Last year, Comcast controlled 51% of the media company but General Electric agreed to sell out its 49% stake during the last fiscal quarter, several years earlier than originally planned.

Comcast’s chief financial officer, Michael Angelakis, the architect of Comcast’s take over of NBCUniversal, was paid $22.3 million last year. That’s a 6% increase over his 2011 package.

Comcast posted a good financial year. The company’s 2012 revenue of $62.6 billion was up 12% compared with the previous year. Operating income swelled 14% to $12.2 billion. Its stock price rose 61% last year.

Neil Smit, who runs the company’s revenue engine Comcast Cable Communications, saw his compensation package shrink 1% to $18.3 million in 2012.

David Cohen, executive vice president, saw his 2012 compensation package grow by 5% to $15.9 million.

Earlier this week, Discovery Communications revealed that its chief executive David Zaslav was paid nearly $50 million in 2012, making Zaslav one of the most handsomely compensated executives in media even though he runs one of the smallest companies. Walt Disney Co. Chief Robert Iger received a 20% increase in 2012 to $40.2 million.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman collected $33.5 million in fiscal 2012. CBS Corp. has not yet released its proxy, although last year Chief Executive Leslie Moonves topped the media pay scale by raking in $69.9 million.

ALSO:

Disney’s Bob Iger gets a pay boost

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman takes a pay cut

CBS’ Leslie Moonves tops media pay scale at $69.9 million

Discovery CEO’s 2012 pay package reaches nearly $50 million

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