TV's Most Overpaid & Undervalued Stars

While being a television personality can be a lucrative career, how many of your favorite stars are worth their massive salaries? Scott Collins of the L.A. Times gave us the rundown.

Collins compared the stars by using the cost-per-viewer model. The simple formula is determined by dividing each star's salary by their total viewers.

First up is one of TV's most surprising bargains, Jennifer Lopez. The pop diva pulled in $12.5 million on American Idol, but the show brought in nearly 20 million viewers, putting her cost at just 63 cents per viewer.

While her talent may not be as apparent as J.Lo, Jersey Shore star Snookie is worth more to MTV than her $1.2 million salary. The star's been employed at basement prices judging by the 7.9 million viewers she attracts to the network.

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The most expensive TV personalities include Matt Lauer, who commands $5.43 for each viewer, and Chelsea Handler. The Chelsea Lately host is paid about the same as J.Lo, but because of low viewership, she pulls in roughly $16 per viewer.