Mark Thompson will be collecting a lot less as the Times’ new CEO than his predecessor, Janet Robinson, did. The soon-to-be former Director-General of the BBC — he starts at the Times in November — will collect an annual salary of $1M, the company says in an SEC filing this morning. The board also targets a $1M annual incentive. To encourage him to leave the BBC, the Times awarded Thompson a sign-on bonus targeted at $3M. Half of it comes in an amount of stock that will be pegged to how well the Times’ does in the market compared to the benchmark Standard and Poor’s 500 in the period ending November 2015. He could get none of that $1.5M — or it could go as high as $3M. The remaining 50% of the sign-on bonus is in stock options that vest in three annual installments. In addition, Thompson is entitled to a relocation benefit of three months housing and a maximum of $100,000 plus up to $25,000 to reimburse his legal fees for negotiating the contract. By contrast, the compensation package for Robinson — who left the company in December — came to $11.3M last year, $5.3M in 2010, and $6.7M in 2009.


Wow, you mean you don’t have to pay millions and millions to get a media CEO??? Or do we have a CEO here who actually understands that he’s not worth the stupid pay packets the others get?
Except…in terms of perception…the day an institution like the Times pays a C.E.O. what would be viewed as a cut-rate salary; or internally bumps somebody up just to save costs…is the day that the Times will be “not what it used to be ever again.” That’s at best. And it is an enormous job. “Can he do it?” will become the addicting narrative. (At least that’s how Murdoch will cover it.) Make note of the television experience. You have to admire the full disclosure though. Perhaps a good sign of a potentially revivified future (or revivifying at least in the short-run.)