To the OP:
First of all, you can't compare incomes between two countries without taking into consideration living costs within those countries, and exchange rates. Certain goods and services in Japan cost comparatively less than in the United States, more so with the other countries such as China and the Philippines. This is why the US Dollar or any other comparatively high currency is worth more there. And this is also why certain countries, China and Japan has tried to keep their currency low to the US dollar, so as to increase the competitiveness of their products in the US market. So, even if he makes below average, it's not as accurate as the comparison you presented makes it out to be.
Furthermore, I think this CNN report is intellectually dishonest for two main reasons.
1.) Showing Toei animation and mentioning hand drawn cells, well, they are hand drawn but not by pencil as what was shown when they were saying it. Toei animation's process is purely digital, according to an Anime News Network tour of their studio.
2.) Showing Studio Ghibli and mentioning "poor animation industry" in the same segment is dishonest. Studio Ghibli makes a lot of money, comparatively to other studios. Miyazaki is not poor, I don't know how much money he has but I guarantee he has a lot more than Nabuki. Ghibli is up there in it's own market, they make "films", not necessarily "anime" and I'm sure they don't follow a model similar to Bones or Toei.
I wish this report was more accurate. Someone who knows enough of the animation process knows that certain segments of the cast was increased for dramatic effect at the cost of being honest.
And also when the man said about not going into animation just because you love to draw, he was probably hinting at the difference between illustration and animation, and the different aspects which both concentrate on. And perhaps on a different level maybe the distinction between "consumer" and "creator". Not that if you love to draw you shouldn't think about a career in animation as the newscast leads you to believe.
This newscast burns my biscuits, not because I disagree with what they're saying, yeah these people need to be paid commensurate to the effort they put out, and I don't think they ever will because being an animator probably takes that much out of you, but the journalism is dishonest and inaccurate.
Sources:
ANN video tour of Toei animation. There's even a section where an animator is shown drawing Luffy, on his touch screen.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ann-tv/2008-05-26