Comcast, NBCU, Sky execs donate salaries

The CEOs of media giant Comcast and its subsidiaries NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Sky have pledged to donate their salaries to Covid-19-related charities.

Jeremy Darroch

Jeremy Darroch, group CEO at European satcaster Sky, is planning to gift at least the next nine months of his salary to organisations battling the pandemic, starting with the National Emergencies Trust.

Darroch, who is paid more than £1m (US$1.2m) per annum, is set to make one donation every month or so, and will continue to do so for the duration of the crisis, a Sky representative told C21.

Top execs including Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and chief financial officer Mike Cavanagh, Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson and NBCU CEO Jeff Shell are also donating their salaries to Covid-19 related charities.

“For the duration of this situation, our senior leaders – Mike Cavanagh, Dave Watson, Jeff Shell, Jeremy Darroch and I – have chosen to donate 100% of our salaries to charities that support Covid-19 relief efforts,” said Roberts. “We hope in some small way we can make this time easier on our employees, our local communities and our customers.”

Darroch added: “This is a time for everybody across the country to do their bit and make a difference where they can.”

Meanwhile, across its businesses, Comcast has committed US$500m to support its employees through continued pay and benefits where operations have been paused or otherwise affected.

Comcast is the latest media and entertainment giant to reveal that its top execs are foregoing their salaries as the crisis rolls on, joining others such as The Walt Disney Company.