MPs ready to grill BBC chiefs as
Salary cuts for male talent more likely than big rises for women presenters Remunerate! First female Doctor Who will be paid same as Capaldi, says Hall
MPs are to grill BBC bosses over the glaring gender pay gap among its top stars.
The Commons culture, media and sport committee will question the Corporation’s director general Lord Hall and chairman Sir David Clementi after revelations over the different salaries for its top talent sent shockwaves through the media industry.
The committee chairman, Conserva- tive MP Damian Collins, said: “It can’t be right, for example, that older male radio presenters like Steve Nolan and Steve Wright are on double the amount of leading BBC figures like Laura Kuenssberg, and that Sarah Montague isn’t on the list of high-paid stars at all, despite presenting the Today programme for many years. We will also be questioning the BBC about the loophole that allows them to hide the pay of stars because they are paid via an independent production company, rather than by the BBC directly.
“It is still licence-fee-payers’ money however the payment is channelled.”
Top Gear and Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans received between £2.2 million and £2,249,999 during 2016/17 while the highest-paid woman was Strictly Come Dancing’s Claudia Winkleman, on £450,000 to £499,999. A further six men were better paid than her.
They included Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker, on between £1.75 million and £1,799,999, and chat show host and radio presenter Graham Norton, on £850,000 to £899,999.
Only two women were among the 14 highest-paid stars.
Lord Hall admitted that there was a gender pay gap of about 10 per cent but insisted that few of the BBC’s top talent did exactly the same job.
Amid anger at the BBC, particularly among many women, there were reports that Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis was considering quitting.
She was not on the list of stars paid at least £150,000 but her co-presenter Evan Davis, whose work also included Dragon’s Den, was paid between £250,000 and £299,999.
The Corporation was said to have offered several female presenters significant pay rises ahead of the publication of the top salary list.
Some of the most high-profile men, including Mastermind and Today programme presenter John Humphrys, who was on £600,000 to £649,999 last year, are already believed to have taken pay cuts. BBC director of radio and education James Purnell signalled that more male stars may be offered lower salaries to tackle the pay gap rather than giving rises to their female colleagues.
He told the BBC’s Newsnight programme: “Quite a lot of men have been taking pay cuts; John Humphrys said that today on air.”
He added: “I’m not going to start negotiating live on air, but that’s clearly one of the levers we can pull, and we have been doing that.”
However, while the spotlight was on the BBC today, other TV companies, media organisations and companies in other sectors are likely to come under greater pressure to ensure they are not paying women less than men.
Labour MP Harriet Harman tweeted: “Whole media issue. Whole society issue!” NEW Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker will be paid the same as departing Peter Capaldi, said BBC director-general Tony Hall.
He said there would be “parity for the same amount of work” as the corporation was forced to deal with claims of sexism after the publication of its pay repor t reve aled a huge gender gap.
Whittaker’s agent declined to comment, but the BBC pay files, published yesterday, showed that Capaldi, 59, was paid between £200,000 and £249,999 during 2016/17 while he was playing the title role in the BBC One show. Lord Hall said he was “incredibly excited” about the appointment of Whittaker, 35, adding: “I do think it is time for 13th Time Lord to be a woman.”
The BBC admitted that some viewers had complained about the casting of the former Broadchurch star but said: “The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey and it has been established in the show that Time Lords can switch gender.” Lord Hall acknowledged that some of the BBC salaries revealed yesterday “sound gargantuan”, but argued that the BBC needed to compete in a global market.