Over the years there have been some notable examples of very generously paid television stars; Oprah Winfrey springs to mind, as does the Friends cast, all of whom earned one million dollars per episode for the final two seasons of the series.

Jon Stewart is the highest paid late night host on TV.

Mark Harmon (NCIS): $525,000 + points

Claire Danes (Homeland): $250,000

Michael Weatherly (NCIS): $250,000

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones): $150,000

Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black): $50,000

Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men): $750,000

Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother): $225,000

Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation): $200,000

Robin Williams (The Crazy Ones): $165,000

Max Greenfield (New Girl): $75,000

Howard Stern (America's Got Talent): $15 million per year

Keith Urban (American Idol): $5 million per year

Blake Shelton (The Voice): $4 million per cycle

RuPaul (RuPaul's Drag Race): $50,000 per episode

Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset): $18,000 per episode

Jon Stewart (The Daily Show): $25-30 million

Jay Leno (The Tonight Show): $20 million

David Letterman (Late Night): $20 million

Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live): $10 million

Andy Cohen (Watch What Happens Live): $2 million

Matt Lauer (NBC): $22-25 million

Rachel Maddow (MSNBC): $7 million

Megyn Kelly (Fox News Channel): $6 million

Scott Pelley (CBS): $5 million

Chris Cuomo (CNN): $2.5 million

Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy): $47 million

Katie Couric (Katie): $10 million

Michael Strahan (Live with Kelly and Michael): $4 million

Sharon Osbourne (The Talk): $1 million

Aisha Tyler (The Talk): $500,000

Today's television climate is in a transitional period, the way television is produced and consumed continues to evolve. However, one thing remains the same: There is still an enormous earnings potential for a lucky few. TV Guide Magazine is set to unveil their annual survey of star salaries, and have released a few tidbits in honor of the event. Jon Stewart is now the highest paid late night talk show host, earning between $25 and $30 million per year. Both Jay Leno and David Letterman have had their salaries reduced over the last couple of years and now earn roughly $20 million a year each. Stewart's increase is not all that surprising, as The Daily Show consistently wins the ratings race in the coveted 18-49 demo.In terms of narrative television, Ashton Kutcher maintains his status as the top paid actor in prime time, earning $750,000 per episode on Two and a Half Men. While Mark Harmon is the top earner on a TV drama with $525,000 per episode for NCIS Next season may bring with it a new story, though, when the contracts expire for The Big Bang Theory leads Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco. They currently earn $325,000 per episode each for TV's top rated sitcom and are expected to negotiate to be paid one million dollars an episode.The following are some examples of what what some current TV Stars earn. We should note that the lists do not represent a 1-5 ranking, but are rather a sampling, as TV Guide is teasing the full breakdown in the magazine which is due out on Thursday, August 22.