Licence fee rebels’ anger at 5% rise for BBC staff
THE BBC has came under fire from campaigners because most workers will get a 4.2 per cent pay rise in August, then another one per cent later this year.
Robert Oulds, director of the Bruges Group think-tank, attacked the use of licence fee payers’ money. He said the BBC had had “privileged status for far too long” and urged its privatisation.
Dennis Reed, director of older persons’ pressure group Silver Voices, said: “Surely there ought to be a contribution being made by the BBC to the cost-of-living crisis – especially when they are scrapping free licences for people who are on the state pension. It’s not a good look.”
The BBC pay increase last year was one per cent – in 2020 there was a freeze due to the pandemic. The BBC said the 2022-’23 increase is less than the seven per cent rate of inflation.
Bosses will not receive an automatic rise as their pay is decided in a different way. The BBC said the “fair deal to licence fee payers and staff” was possible due to cutting costs.
But Mr Oulds said: “The BBC should be privatised with extreme prejudice. The television tax is an egregious abuse of people... and harms the least well-off.
“If [the BBC] wants to practise social engineering – destroying Brand Britain and many loved shows with its woke agenda – it should do so without making the majority of television viewers, most of whom do not watch the BBC, pay for its propaganda. It has had a privileged status for far too long.
“Let them go and see if they can make it in the market. They may actually enjoy the freedom and inventiveness that this will bring.”
Staff totals fell six per cent last year while the number of senior leaders dropped by more than five per cent.
BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “The BBC is the home of creative excellence and world-beating impartial journalism. We want our staff to thrive, produce their best work and feel valued for their output. The BBC is smaller but we also need to attract and retain world class talent within a reformed, modern and efficient organisation that provides great value to audiences.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said licence fee funding of the BBC is “completely outdated” and decisions on changes will be made “well ahead” of its charter renewal in 2027. The corporation is investigating how else to fund its services as the licence fee faces an uncertain future.
Freelance talent such as sports host Gary Lineker – paid around £1.4million annually for his BBC work – will not be eligible for August’s rise.
The increase comes as the broadcaster deals with an exodus of big names. BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker quit for Channel 5 after former co-host Louise Minchin left to spend more time with her family. Also out of the door were political specialist Andrew Marr – swapping BBC for LBC – along with Newsnight host Emily Maitlis and ex-BBC North America editor Jon Sopel.