BBC Big Six agree salary cut in gender pay row
JEREMY Vine and Nicky Campbell yesterday announced they were among male BBC presenters taking pay cuts as the Corporation’s price for its treatment of their female counterparts.
The pair were on a list of six stars who have now agreed to surrender part of their salaries, amid ongoing anger over the gender pay gap at the Corporation.
Today host Nick Robinson, North America Editor Jon Sopel and News At Ten anchor Huw Edwards have also agreed to pay cuts. They follow Today host John Humphrys, who has already offered to give up part of his salary – his third voluntary cut since the pay row erupted. However, he said yesterday that the cuts would not leave him ‘selling matches’ to make ends meet.
Meanwhile the Mail understands the BBC is also planning to extract similar agreements from former Today presenter James Naughtie – along with PM presenter Eddie Mair, and TV and radio host Andrew Marr.
Vine, who hosts a daytime show on Radio 2 and BBC2 quiz Eggheads, said it was a ‘no brainer’ to surrender part of his nearly £750,000-a-year salary.
He said: ‘I support my female colleagues who have rightly said that they should be paid the same when they are doing the same job.’ Meanwhile Nicky Campbell told listeners that the agreement to take a pay cut was ‘all very civilised and collegiate’. He took home £450,000 last year for his breakfast show on Radio 5 Live.
The BBC said yesterday it was ‘very grateful’ to the six men who have agreed to give up part of their packets, and that it is in discussions with other to do the same. The bout of cuts come ahead of what promises to be a particularly gruelling week for the BBC in its ongoing row over the way it treats men versus women.
BBC director general Lord Hall will be in front of the culture, media and sport committee on Wednesday to answer claims by the BBC’s ex-China editor Carrie Gracie that the BBC has a ‘secretive and illegal’ pay structure.
If BBC bosses thought the blitz on male salaries would mollify MPs, the committee’s chairman has made it clear a few sacrificial lambs are far from sufficient. Tory MP Damian Collins said: ‘While it is admirable that these BBC presenters want to show solidarity for their female colleagues by taking a pay cut, it doesn’t address the fundamental issues of pay inequality that Carrie Gracie and others have raised.’