BBC Trust Tells BBC To Reveal More Star Salary Information

Trust Wants Salary Info

The BBC TRUST has ordered the BBC to disclose details of the salaries paid to its top radio and TV stars, but will release the information in "narrower bands" as opposed to announcing individuals' salaries. The plan would announce salary levels and names of hosts in each of those categories but would not reveal each host's specific salary. The TRUST had previously declined to push for exposing salaries at the BBC, concerned about its effect on the network's ability to compete.

BBC TRUST Chairman Sir MICHAEL LYONS, in a speech to the VOICE OF THE LISTENER AND VIEWER seminar in LONDON WEDNESDAY night, said, "We still accept the argument that sharing details of the costs of individual salaries for those people who appear in front of the camera would not be in the interest of the BBC and would not be in the interest of the license fee payers. We remain of that view ... So strong is the public interest in those people who are paid the very larger sums of money by the BBC that we feel there is an argument for making available the names of those who are most highly paid. [We are] not saying how much they are individually paid but just being clear on the people who are the most highly paid people in the BBC."

In addition, LYONS said that BBC senior executives will be taking an 8.5% pay cut for each of the next two years, constituting one month in each year without pay, to go along with a previously-announced pay freeze for some employees.

« see more Net News