Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BBC chiefs ‘belittled’ female journos over equal pay demands
Radio 5 Live star Rachel lashes out
FEMALE journalists at the BBC were “belittled” when they asked bosses if they were paid the same as male colleagues, Radio 5 Live host Rachel Burden says. The star, who presents the breakfast show alongside Nicky Campbell, revealed she earns around £130,000 for her role. He pockets more than £400,000 in total. Rachel said yesterday the storm over the gender pay gap “has been brewing for many years”.
She added: “In many cases, senior managers were directly asked whether women were on the same pay as comparable male colleagues. Few enquiries had a satisfactory outcome. The female journalists were either ignored, belittled or made to feel as if they were being troublesome.”
The 42-year-old said Nicky, 56, has a “much greater” public profile than her. He also hosts the daily phone-in.
Rachel added: “Should we be on the same money? Probably not. I have never argued for that.
“There has to be room for recognising experience and market value...
“I’ve known how much he is paid for some time. We’ve talked it over frequently and he’s been incredibly supportive of me. “But it’s a partnership... Equal jobs should mean equal pay – but where there is disparity, is the gap justified? “Are the women paid too little, or the men paid too much?”
Rachel, who called for an independent pay audit at the BBC, said she gets “a lot of money to do a job I love”, adding she was speaking out to improve things for colleagues. The Beeb last week unveiled its list of top earning stars – only a third are women, with men frequently on more than their female co-hosts. BBC chief Tony Hall has vowed to level the pay gap by 2020.