British music mogul Simon Cowell's annual earnings of $45 million has earned him second place in a new poll of U.S. TV's highest-paid stars. But Cowell's impressive salary still cannot touch Oprah Winfrey's massive earnings - she remains top of the TV Guide magazine's rich list with a whopping $260 million a year.

Forty-seven-year-old Cowell is the brains behind popular talent shows America's Got Talent and American Idol, with the latter attracting more than 30 million viewers per episode.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)