Top stars’ pay to be revealed... but that’s not enough say critics
TV licence fee payers have been let down by Government agreement to continued secrecy over what BBC stars earn, it was claimed yesterday.
The proposed new charter governing the corporation will force it only to publish details of anyone it pays more than director general Lord Hall’s salary of £450,000 a year.
TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: “Licence fee payers deserve to know how their money is being spent, so only revealing the salaries of those earning more than an eye-watering £450,000 just doesn’t cut the mustard.”
The new policy is nevertheless expected to put a spotlight on the pay of top stars like Chris Evans, Graham Norton and Gary Lineker – and provide what some BBC insiders fear will be a “poacher’s charter” for rival channels to lure them away.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale is believed to have originally wanted the BBC to publish all pay packages worth over £150,000 but was over-ruled by David Cameron – who earns slightly less than that.
The BBC will continue with its policy of revealing only which managers earn £150,000plus. Mr Isaby added: “Other public bodies are rightly obliged to reveal far greater detail about all those on sixfigure salaries and the Government has offered no justification for allowing the BBC to escape that scrutiny.”
But fat cat deals were defended by BBC director of strategy and digital James Purnell, a former Labour Cabinet minister.
He said the BBC had cut its talent bill by 15 per cent over the last five years and it paid less than the private sector.
“We need to make sure that we don’t go so low that we can’t get brilliant people like Chris Evans to work for us,” he added.