CNN’s Wolf Blitzer has a reported salary of $15 million bucks.

If Blitzer left CNN tomorrow, do you think he could find a job anywhere that paid him even close to half that amount?

CNN’s new boss, Mark Thompson, wants some of CNN’s biggest “stars” to take a pay cut.

Thompson sent a memo to the staff explaining that he wanted to trim production costs. Part of that is having more shows produced out of Atlanta, which cost much less than doing so out of New York.

Insiders believe that he is also looking to cut the fat salaries of CNN’s biggest names.

Anderson Cooper makes $20 million bucks; Jake Tapper makes nearly $9 million. Add in Blitzer’s $15 million, and you can see how out of control these salaries are.

This isn’t Thompson’s fault, but it is something he needs to fix.

Jeff Zucker threw money around at CNN like a drunken sailor, and now Thompson needs to clean up the mess.

Wolf Blitzer should be making $2.5 million tops. Jake Tapper shouldn’t be paid over a million, and Anderson Cooper’s salary should be under $10 million.

But when the talent is still under contract, there isn’t much you can do.

Think about the NFL. Often, players will rework contracts to help their team free up salary cap money. Some players have taken cuts in pay just so the team can sign a big-name player that will help them win.

That is what the so-called CNN stars should do.

None of them are pulling ratings like they used to, and they do not deserve the pay that they are getting.

Anderson Cooper should lead the way. If he really cares about CNN, he should step up, offer to take a large salary cut, and set an example for the others.

Thompson is trying to bring back the proud CNN, the one that Jeff Zucker ruined.

He can’t do it without help from the primetime hosts, who have been floundering in the ratings for years now.

Mark Thompson has the right idea, but if those hosts don’t get on board, he’ll be spinning his wheels.

In the end, he will have to cut more from rank and file. Those who work behind the scenes, who aren’t making a million bucks.

CNN is in freefall, and the stars need to help pull the ripcord.

The question is, will any of them do it?