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By Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 1/30/2012 12:01:00 AM

Disney Chief Iger Gets a 13% Raise

BURBANK, CALIF. — The Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger, who is slated to add the chairman’s title after the media giant’s annual meeting of shareholders in March, received $33.4 million in total compensation in fiscal 2011, according to a company proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Jan. 20.

According to the proxy statement, Iger received $2.96 million in fixed compensation, a $15.5 million bonus and $12.9 million in annual equity awards. It was a 12.8% increase from the $29.6 million in total compensation Iger received in fiscal 2010.

Other Disney execs also received raises. Chief financial officer Jay Rasulo received about $11.1 million in total compensation, a 5.7% raise from the $10.5 million he received in fiscal 2010; chief human resources officer M. Jayne Parker received $3.6 million in total compensation for the year, a 20% raise form the $3 million she received in fiscal 2010.

Two executives saw pay decreases — executive vice president of corporate strategy and business development Kevin Mayer and general counsel and secretary Alan Braverman — for the year. Mayer received $3.9 million in total compensation in fiscal 2011, down 11.4% from $4.4 million in fiscal 2010. Braverman netted $7.8 million in total compensation, down 12.8% from the $8.8 million he received in fiscal 2010. The declines were mainly due to lower bonus and equity awards.

Cox Launches $35 ‘TV Economy’ Package

ATLANTA — Cox Communications last week said it has begun to roll out a 20-channel lower-priced video tier dubbed “TV Economy” for $34.99 per month.

Cox joins the ranks of Time Warner Cable and Comcast, which introduced their own lower-priced tiers — “TV Essentials” and “MyTV Choice” — last year.

Although the exact lineup varies by region, TV Economy includes all the channels in Cox’s basic package — broadcast networks and cable channels like C-SPAN and Animal Planet — and about 20 channels from its expanded-basic package. Cox spokesman Todd Smith said the company began trialing the package in select markets late last year, but that it will be available across the footprint soon. According to FierceCable.com, which first reported the story last Monday (Jan. 23), TV Economy is currently available in parts of New England, Louisiana, Virginia and San Diego.

“Cox is now adding TV Economy as one of our standard service offerings as part of our continued effort to provide a variety of options that serve our customers’ needs and suit their budgets,” Smith said.