BBC pays £230million every year to top presenters and actors

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By
Paul Revoir and Liz Thomas
Last updated at 9:50 PM on 09th February 2010

Jonathan Ross: His £6million-a-year deal is coming to an end
The BBC was last night embroiled in a fresh row over pay secrecy after
admitting it spends £54million a year on its stars - but refusing to
reveal individual salaries.
After months of criticism, the corporation bowed to pressure and revealed it spends £229million a year on ‘talent’.
But it still refuses to publish precisely how much performers such as Jeremy Clarkson and Jeremy Paxman earn individually.
The refusal came just days after MPs accused the broadcaster of
hiding behind the Data Protection Act to keep the salaries of its top
stars secret. However, the BBC did break down the £229million a year into
broad pay bands. This revealed that those who earn more than £150,000 a
year account for nearly a quarter of the talent spend. Some salaries are already in the public domain. Jonathan Ross
earns £6million a year but will leave in the summer, Graham Norton has
just signed a £2million a year deal, while Adrian Chiles has a £
1million salary. Last week it emerged actor Trevor Eve earns about £700,000 per series of Waking The Dead.
Even lesser known stars such as DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles can pocket more than £300,000 a year.

The pay figures, relating to artists, presenters, musicians and
contributors, also showed £ 16million was spent on those earning
between £100,000 and £150,000. A further £115million was spent on those earning up to £50,000 and £44million on those earning between £50,000 and £100,000.
In total, the BBC said in the year to the end of March 2009 it
had dealt with 300,000 separate talent contracts. The £229million total
represents 6.5 per cent of the licence fee total. But the true total talent figure is believed to be in the region of £60million more than the figure released by the BBC.
Top tier: Adrian Chiles and Graham Norton are on £100,000-plus a year Once deals organised by independent production companies working for
the corporation are added in, the figure is understood to be more like
£290million.
It comes as a Freedom of Information request revealed the top 300
executives at the corporation shared up to £50million between them in
pay.
Up to 92 of these earn £150,000 or more, but again the BBC refused
to specify the exact salaries of many, so the number on these amounts
is unclear. The publication of the data comes after Conservative MP Edward
Leigh, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, accused the BBC of an
‘obsession’ with celebrities.
Jeremy Paxman takes his salary from the BBC’s £70million a
year top talent poolOn Monday, Mr Leigh said: ‘We on behalf of the taxpayers, have a right to know how public money is being spent. If you can justify [talent pay] then do not shelter behind the Data Protection Act.’
Another committee member, Tory MP Douglas Carswell, said the BBC was in danger of behaving like the ‘duck house brigade’ of MPs disgraced by their expenses claims, by not letting the National Audit Office examine its finances.
He claimed: ‘It’s a cover up. It’s unacceptable for a publiclyfunded broadcaster to not let the public know how they are using our money.’
Caroline Thomson, the BBC’s chief operating officer, said: ‘Artists, presenters, musicians and other contributors are central to the BBC’s ability to deliver high quality and distinctive programming and we know that audiences expect to see and hear them on BBC programmes.’
A BBC Trust spokesman said: ‘From its work on talent spend, the Trust has concluded that the BBC must reduce the total amount it spends, with a particular focus on the top band, as well as increase the transparency of reporting to licence fee payers.
‘The Trust also believes that the BBC should take a lead in developing new talent from within the organisation itself.’
The BBC insists it would not be legal to reveal individual talent salaries and claims the information is commercially sensitive.

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I love the BBC. There I said it. Great value for money.
- Andrew, Durham, 09/2/2010 18:10

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TALLENT WHAT TALLENT ?????????????????????????????????????
- MEL, SANDWICH KENT ENGLAND, 9/2/2010 10:51
Did you collapse in a rage onto your question mark key while posting that?
- Tom, Milton Keynes, 09/2/2010 18:07

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As the BBC runs several national radio channels, even more local radio stations and the World Service, plus several more TV channels and the superb iPlayer, it sounds to me as if they are underpaying if anything. Can we have the figures that ITV pays for its much more limited service?
- Evie, Slough, 09/2/2010 17:38

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‘ top performers such as Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton and Adrian Chiles, as well as top presenters such as Jeremy Paxman, Sophie Raworth, Fiona Bruce and Huw Edwards’. (they missed out Jeremy Clarkson & co)
THEY MUST BE JOKING…….most of these are jump-ed news junkies
- MONEMK, LONDON, 09/2/2010 16:57

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Fine. So the fees for so-called talent might appear large. But imagine a world without the BBC….
Unthinkable isn’t it? The BBC still produces some of the best television in the world. Without “Aunty” we’ll all be in a handcart to hell - with no going back.
- simon jasper, lathus, france, 09/2/2010 15:36

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its more than that
not included in those figures is the third party expenses or the independent body that is called BBC worldwide which makes a profit !!!
Also can i ask why individual salaries are ever kept a secret
- Chris, Somerset, 09/2/2010 15:27

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