MPs haul in BBC boss for a grilling on women’s pay
BBC chief Lord Hall was yesterday summoned for a grilling by MPs as new Culture Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the broadcaster’s ‘brilliant women… deserve better’.
The director-general will face the Commons culture, media and sport committee before the end of the month alongside Carrie Gracie, who resigned as the Corporation’s China editor on Sunday.
Miss Gracie stepped down in protest at the BBC’s ‘secretive and illegal’ pay culture, sparking an outcry that has seen female staff seek legal advice on potential action for discrimination.
Mr Hancock told MPs: ‘The BBC must act, because the brilliant women working at all levels of the BBC deserve better. The BBC have begun to act and I welcome that, but more action, much more action, is needed.’
He warned that the Corporation could not solve the issue by simply dishing out extra money to women – as it had with Europe editor Katya Adler and Newsnight host Emily Maitlis.
The BBC offered Miss Gracie a £45,000 rise on her £135,000 salary, which she rejected saying she was more interested in equality.
Her male counterparts, North America editor Jon Sopel and Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, are on up to £250,000 and £200,000 respectively. Meanwhile, Tory MP Damian Collins, chairman of the culture, media and sport committee, said that it had written to Lord Hall asking him to answer questions about the BBC’s progress fixing the pay gap.
The BBC boss will be grilled about a long-awaited report into presenter pay due before the end of the month, which will look at all levels of the organisation rather than just the highest-paid stars. The BBC confirmed Lord Hall would appear before MPs.
Miss Gracie – who still remains on the BBC staff in the London newsroom – has already accepted the committee’s invitation.
Meanwhile former Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly urged more BBC women to make ‘sacrifices’. She won an ageism case in 2011 after being dropped in favour of a younger presenter.
But, You And Yours host Winifred Robinson was taken off air on Radio 4 yesterday after posting a message from BBC Women, a group of 130 producers and broadcasters, backing Miss Gracie ‘wholeheartedly’. On Monday, the BBC had told staff they could not cover the pay row on air if they had backed Miss Gracie on Twitter.
Yesterday director of news Fran Unsworth attempted to rally staff, with an email telling them: ‘Pay is an issue that we need to resolve swiftly and get right.’