Radio host Jane slams Beeb over wage action
RADIO host Jane Garvey says the BBC is “fobbing off” female staff over equal pay.
The Woman’s Hour broadcaster dismissed claims by BBC chief Charlotte Moore who said it had been dealing with lower women’s wages as part of a wider diversity issue.
Jane, 53, said: “It seems the top management’s good intentions haven’t filtered down, or I wouldn’t have heard from women right across the BBC who have been fobbed off, deceived or told they’ve picked the ‘wrong comparator’.
“Whether we’re black, white, brown or pink with green spots we’re the majority. And we deserve to be valued the same as men. For our brains, experience and expertise. A gender pay gap at the BBC makes it look faintly ridiculous.” Two- thirds of BBC stars on more than £150,000 are male. DJ Chris Evans, 51, is top-paid on up to £2.25million.
Radio 4 host Jane added: “The BBC is at its worst a self-regarding, pompous organisation.
“At best it’s a wonderful force for good. I’d like it to take this opportunity to do the right thing.”
Jane sent a letter demanding equal pay, co-signed by stars including Sue Barker, Emily Maitlis, Mishal Husain, Kirsty Wark, Victoria Derbyshire, Alex Jones and Fiona Bruce.
At the Edinburgh International Television Festival, director of content Moore, 49, said the BBC had to address “diversity in a broader sense”, adding: “It was something we were doing already... but you can’t say ‘by tomorrow we will have sorted it’.”