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As People Magazine gets ready to release its special collector’s edition honoring 50 years of  ”General Hospital” on Tuesday, March 12, the editors of Soap Opera Digest have collaborated on their own special tribute issue for the ABC Daytime drama series. Going on sale on Monday, March 25, the full sized Digest issue will include “revealing interviews, backstage gossip, photos, memories and more!”

“General Hospital” premiered on April 1, 1963. The series has been placed on various all-time best soap opera lists including those by such publications as Time Magazine and TV Guide Magazine.

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Although they weren’t listed with the other “Hot” stuff in TV Guide Magazine‘s Annual “Hot List” issue (pages 16-35), “General Hospital” earned a spot under Michael Logan‘s Daytime Highlights column (page 84) with the heading “Hot Again,” while NBC’s “Days of our Lives” also made the cut under the heading “Hot Days, Hotter Nights” courtesy of daytime’s hottest (and only) gay on screen couple, Will Horton (Chandler Massey) and Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith).

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In its newest issue, TV Guide Magazine has revealed some of televisions highest paid stars. As you can imagine, the list comprises of former daytime soap stars who’ve either gone on to host their own talk show or headline a top ranked primetime series, or in the case of primetime soap stars – gotten richer!

Kelly Ripa tops the list of stars with a soap opera connection as the host of the daytime talk show “Live with Kelly.” According to TV Guide, the former “All My Children” star rakes in an estimated salary of $20 million per year. Meanwhile, Michael Weatherly went from “Loving” in the 1990′s to “NCIS” agent for a cool $175,000 per episode. Mark Harmon, Weatherly’s co-star on “NCIS,” generates an estimated $500,000 per episode and is the highest paid actor (scripted). The magazine, however, does not make note as to whether that amount includes his executive producer credit or if it is based solely on appearance alone. Harmon starred in the short lived 1980′s primetime soap “Flamingo Road,” which preceded his ground breaking role in “St. Elsewhere.”

“Guiding Light” turned “White Collar” star Matt Bomer makes an estimated $110,000 per episode of his uber popular USA Network series. Also hailing from “Guiding Light” is Hayden Panettierre, who will take in an estimated $75,000 an episode for her starring role in the upcoming new series “Nashville.” The show stars Connie Britton as a fading country star, but Britton will take in $100,000 per episode for her efforts.

The stars of “Grey’s Anatomy” recently renegotiated new deals to continue on the series for another two seasons. With the shows ninth season debuting in September, stars Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo will now make an estimated $350,000 an episode.

Although he hasn’t appeared on a soap for some time, Alec Baldwin gained notoriety in the 1980′s after starring in the daytime soap “The Doctors” and the primetime soap opera “Knot’s Landing.” Now starring in “30 Rock,” Baldwin commands an estimated $300,000 per episode. “30 Rock” is expected to complete its seventh and final season with just 13 episodes beginning October 4. Mariska Hargitay, who recurred on primetime soap “Falcon Crest” in 1988, is the highest paid actress (scripted) taking in $385,000 per episode for her work on “Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit.”

What follows is the complete list of salaries of stars with soap opera connections:

• Kelly Ripa (“Live with Kelly”) $20 million per year
• Mark Harmon (“NCIS”) $500,000 per episode
• Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: SVU”) $385,000 per episode
• Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s Anatomy”) $350,000 per episode
• Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) $350,000 per episode
• Ellen Pompeo (“Grey’s Anatomy”) $350,000 per episode
• Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) $300,000 per episode
• Stephen Moyer (“True Blood“) $200,000 per episode
• Anna Paquin (“True Blood”) $200,000 per episode
• Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood”) $200,000 per episode
• Michael Weatherly (“NCIS”) $175,000 per episode
• Connie Britton (“Nashiville”) $100,000 per episode
• Terry O’Quinn (“666 Park Avenue“) $100,000 per episode
• Vanessa Williams (“666 Park Avenue”) $100,000 per episode
• Larry Hagman (“Dallas“) $75,000 per episode
• Lea Michele (“Glee”) $75,000 per episode
• Hayden Panettierre (“Nashiville”) $75,000 per episode
• Madeleine Stowe (“Revenge”) $75,000 per episode
• Kerry Washington (“Scandal“) $75,000 per episode
• Dave Annable (“666 Park Avenue”) $65,000 per episode
• Emily VanCamp (“Revenge”) $55,000 per episode
• Patrick Duffy (“Dallas”) $50,000 per episode
• Josh Henderson (“Dallas”) $50,000 per episode

For a complete list of stars and their salaries, pick up your copy of TV Guide today or head on over to the magazine’s website.

Matt Jones/Redbook

Alison Sweeney:

Hi everyone!

I’m so excited to be on the cover of Redbook again, this time for their May (Mother’s Day!) issue. This was a really fun one to shoot because my kids are in it with me. That makes it a little more chaotic than a typical photo shoot, but we had a ball.

Do your kids like having their photo taken? How do you get them to stand still (for a second or two, anyway) and smile?!?

XO

Ali

PS – don’t forget to tune in to Biggest Loser tonight on NBC at 8/7c. First Lady Michelle Obama is working out with the trainers and contestants in tonight’s episode!

The issue with Sweeney on the cover hit newsstands today.

For more information, head on over to the Redbook Magazine website.