Les Moonves 2012 Pay Drops Several Million From Last Year

CBS CEO' total compensation dropped from $69.9 million in 2011 to $62.2 million in 2011

Leslie Moonves was one of the most handsomely rewarded chief executive officers in the country last year.

The CBS Corp. chief's total compensation in 2012 was nearly $62.2 million, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing released on Friday.

The figure is down 11 percent from his 2011 compensation, which was $69.9 million, but it still towers over CBS executive chairman Sumner Redstone, who raked in $31.3 million in salary, stock and bonuses last year.

Thanks to hits like "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," CBS remains in first place among adults 28-49 years old and in terms of total viewers.

Also read: Les Moonves' $69.9M Makes Him Highest-Paid Media CEO of 2011 ā€” So Far

Moonves' stock option awards declined from $27.3 million to $16.3 million, while his base salary  increased slightly from 2011's $3.5 million to $3.51 million. His stock awards rose by $3 million.

His total compensation package was nearly five times the average recorded by CEOs in the Standard & Poors 500 index, according to Bloomberg.

Redstone's total compensation increased from $20.3 million to $31.3 million, a 54 percent gain driven mostly by a $13.8 million jump in his pension value. His base salary was $1.76 million, a mere $6,73 million increase from 2011. His bonus held steady at $10 million, while his stock awards increased from 2011's $5.5 million to nearly $5.8 million.

CBS stock has been on a steady rise since 2009. The company reported a 42 percent increase in 2012 and closed the day Friday trading at $46.57.

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