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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/live/2017/jul/19/bbc-publishes-salaries-of-highest-earning-stars-live-updates
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| BBC pay: Chris Evans tops list as stars' salaries are published - live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.11pm BST | |
| 12:11 | |
| Sky’s Beth Rigby gives a possible explanation why Sarah Montague, the Today’s programme second longest serving presenter, does not appear on the list of plus £150,000 earners. | |
| The mystery of Sarah Montague's absence from #BBCpay list. She's in same band as Webb (£150k-£200k). But works fewer shifts so paid less | |
| 12.07pm BST | |
| 12:07 | |
| George Osborne’s London Evening Standard says the BBC has serious questions to answer over senior pay. | |
| Its editorial says: | |
| How can a public-service organisation that should be promoting gender equality justify its top male stars earning much more than their female stars? Is Chris Evans really worth four times more than Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman? Then there is the size of the salaries. The BBC says it is in an international market for top talent, and some of its people have recently left to join the likes of Spotify and Apple. That competition may be true of its real stars but do you really need to pay Stephen Nolan (exactly, who?) £450,000 a year? And being on the BBC gives performers and presenters an audience that allows them to earn a lot extra in appearance fees and publishing spin-offs. We need to see much more evidence that the BBC management really are managing their £1 billion talent bill. | |
| Here's our editorial @EveningStandard on the real BBC challenge: not pay in west London but West Coast competition https://t.co/hPnowJ961x | |
| 12.02pm BST | |
| 12:02 | |
| That Today programme interview between Mishal Husain and Tony Hall was a perfect vignette to illustrate the gender pay in BBC, writes Jane Martinson. | |
| “It’s complicated. One person could be sitting next to someone doing the same job who earns more,” Hall squirmed to Husain, who is paid £50,000 to £100,000 less than Nick Robinson, who happened to be sitting alongside her in the studio on a salary, we now know, of £250,000-£299,000. “They could be doing other things,” he continued. “Or they may not be,” shot back Husain. | |
| Awkward. Though possibly not as awkward as the fact that Sarah Montague, the show’s second ever female presenter and second longest serving after John Humphrys does not even appear to have made the list. Humphrys earns more than £600,000, but that includes his salary for presenting Mastermind as well as other TV shows paid for by the licence fee. | |
| Only the BBC would force its own presenters to interview the boss about failings over their own pay of course. Which highlights the one great injustice of the disclosures, forced on the BBC by a Conservative government backed by much of the tabloid press howling for the stories. We will all grow old and die before the Daily Mail’s Sarah Vine interviews Paul Dacre about either his £1.5m last year or indeed whether she earns as much as Katie Hopkins, who works online only. | |
| It is hard not to feel some sympathy for the BBC, the only major broadcaster that has to name those earning over £150,000 in a hugely competitive market in which its rivals tend to pay more. Rival executives and agents alike will aim to make hay from a poacher’s charter without a level playing field. | |
| 11.57am BST | |
| 11:57 | |
| Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman has accused the BBC of sex discrimination in the way it spends public money. | |
| Speaking to BBC News she said the corporation would have to change. | |
| “It is very important that the lid has been lifted on this pay discrimination in the BBC ... the old boys network where they are feathering their own nests and each others and there is discrimination and unfairness against women,” Harman said. | |
| She added: “Although everybody will think it is very unfair and outrageous this is a moment now when it can be sorted out.” | |
| She also accused the corporation of hypocrisy on equality. | |
| Everybody talks the talks of equality, but what’s shown is they are not walking the walk. This is a moment they have got to change. | |
| The BBC needs to set an example. This is public money and people don’t want their money to be spent unfairly. Public money shouldn’t be spent in a way which is discriminatory. When you look at the structure and the pay it is clearly discrimination. Now that it is out in the open it will have to change. | |
| 11.37am BST | 11.37am BST |
| 11:37 | 11:37 |
| At the press conference to launch the report Lord Hall was asked about the variation in salaries paid to the Today programme team. | At the press conference to launch the report Lord Hall was asked about the variation in salaries paid to the Today programme team. |
| He said: “I don’t want to talk about individuals when it comes to the Today programme, but let me just say you would be wrong to say that the lowest paid member of the presenting team is a woman. | He said: “I don’t want to talk about individuals when it comes to the Today programme, but let me just say you would be wrong to say that the lowest paid member of the presenting team is a woman. |
| “Leave it at that.” | “Leave it at that.” |
| The salary list puts Mishal Husain’s Today programme interview with Hall in context (see earlier). She was paid up to £250,000 compared to John Humphrys who is on up to £650,000. | The salary list puts Mishal Husain’s Today programme interview with Hall in context (see earlier). She was paid up to £250,000 compared to John Humphrys who is on up to £650,000. |
| Humphrys, 73, joined the BBC in 1966. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter for the Nine O’Clock News, and since 1987 has been a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Since 2003 he has been the host of the BBC Two quiz show Mastermind. | Humphrys, 73, joined the BBC in 1966. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter for the Nine O’Clock News, and since 1987 has been a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Since 2003 he has been the host of the BBC Two quiz show Mastermind. |
| Husain, born in 1973, joined the BBC in 1998 as a junior producer. She is also a presenter on the Today programme, as well as BBC World News and BBC Weekend News. Of the other Today presenters, Nick Robinson earns from £250,000 to £299,999, Justin Webb earns between £150,000 and £199,999, and Sarah Montague does not earn enough to feature on the list. | Husain, born in 1973, joined the BBC in 1998 as a junior producer. She is also a presenter on the Today programme, as well as BBC World News and BBC Weekend News. Of the other Today presenters, Nick Robinson earns from £250,000 to £299,999, Justin Webb earns between £150,000 and £199,999, and Sarah Montague does not earn enough to feature on the list. |
| 11.32am BST | 11.32am BST |
| 11:32 | 11:32 |
| BBC director general, Tony Hall, claims the BBC commitments to gender and diversity parity will change the media market. | BBC director general, Tony Hall, claims the BBC commitments to gender and diversity parity will change the media market. |
| But in a statement to launch the BBC’s annual report he did not repeat his Today programme pledge to close the gender pay gap. He said: | But in a statement to launch the BBC’s annual report he did not repeat his Today programme pledge to close the gender pay gap. He said: |
| “On gender and diversity, the BBC is more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the Civil Service. We have set the most stretching targets in the industry for on-air diversity and we’ve made progress, but we recognise there is more to do and we are pushing further and faster than any other broadcaster. | “On gender and diversity, the BBC is more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the Civil Service. We have set the most stretching targets in the industry for on-air diversity and we’ve made progress, but we recognise there is more to do and we are pushing further and faster than any other broadcaster. |
| “At the moment, of the talent earning over £150,000, two thirds are men and one third are women. We’ve set a clear target for 2020: we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided between men and women. And it’s already having an impact. If you look at those on the list who we have hired or promoted in the last three years, 60% are women and nearly a fifth come from a BAME background. | “At the moment, of the talent earning over £150,000, two thirds are men and one third are women. We’ve set a clear target for 2020: we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided between men and women. And it’s already having an impact. If you look at those on the list who we have hired or promoted in the last three years, 60% are women and nearly a fifth come from a BAME background. |
| “Meeting our goal on this is going to have a profound impact not just on the BBC, but the whole media industry. It’s going to change the market for talent in this country. | “Meeting our goal on this is going to have a profound impact not just on the BBC, but the whole media industry. It’s going to change the market for talent in this country. |
| 11.24am BST | 11.24am BST |
| 11:24 | 11:24 |
| The salaries of TV stars like Graham Norton and Fiona Bruce should be the least of our worries, according to Abi Wilkinson. | The salaries of TV stars like Graham Norton and Fiona Bruce should be the least of our worries, according to Abi Wilkinson. |
| Writing on the Guardian opinion she says: | Writing on the Guardian opinion she says: |
| The world’s eight richest men own as much wealth as half the world’s population. In the UK, billionaires buy up media outlets and donate to political parties (most commonly, the Conservatives) in an attempt to influence our democracy. | The world’s eight richest men own as much wealth as half the world’s population. In the UK, billionaires buy up media outlets and donate to political parties (most commonly, the Conservatives) in an attempt to influence our democracy. |
| Rupert Murdoch (net worth: £9.3bn) doesn’t only want you to be angry at BBC performers being paid more than £150,000 per year. His newspapers frequently attack unemployed benefit claimants as a drain on the working population, while simultaneously suggesting that migrant workers are to blame for Brits being unable to find jobs. The more that ordinary people can be encouraged to blame each other for their hardship, the less likely it is that elites will be challenged. | Rupert Murdoch (net worth: £9.3bn) doesn’t only want you to be angry at BBC performers being paid more than £150,000 per year. His newspapers frequently attack unemployed benefit claimants as a drain on the working population, while simultaneously suggesting that migrant workers are to blame for Brits being unable to find jobs. The more that ordinary people can be encouraged to blame each other for their hardship, the less likely it is that elites will be challenged. |
| Maybe, though, this BBC report could be used to spark a more sincere debate about inequality. Another piece of research released today is likely to receive less attention, but also deserves consideration in this context. The TUC has found a 25% salary gap between the richest and poorest regions of the UK, which major knock-on effects for local economies. People living in places like the West Midlands, Wales and the north-west are far less likely to be able to find well paid work than those in London and the south-east. | Maybe, though, this BBC report could be used to spark a more sincere debate about inequality. Another piece of research released today is likely to receive less attention, but also deserves consideration in this context. The TUC has found a 25% salary gap between the richest and poorest regions of the UK, which major knock-on effects for local economies. People living in places like the West Midlands, Wales and the north-west are far less likely to be able to find well paid work than those in London and the south-east. |
| We need to stop viewing extreme income equality as unavoidable, and realise that our economy is something we have significant power to shape. If you have thoughts on BBC employees’ renumeration, take a step back and broaden that out. What would a fair society look like? | We need to stop viewing extreme income equality as unavoidable, and realise that our economy is something we have significant power to shape. If you have thoughts on BBC employees’ renumeration, take a step back and broaden that out. What would a fair society look like? |
| 11.20am BST | 11.20am BST |
| 11:20 | 11:20 |
| Graham Ruddick | Graham Ruddick |
| Graham Ruddick has more details on the gender pay gap. | Graham Ruddick has more details on the gender pay gap. |
| On BBC gender imbalance - also important who is not on list - Sarah Montague, Emily Maitls, Louise Minchin and Hazel Irvine | On BBC gender imbalance - also important who is not on list - Sarah Montague, Emily Maitls, Louise Minchin and Hazel Irvine |
| Top seven BBC all male - Chris Evans, Gary Lineker, Graham Norton, Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys, Huw Edwards, Steve Wright | Top seven BBC all male - Chris Evans, Gary Lineker, Graham Norton, Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys, Huw Edwards, Steve Wright |
| Alot of explaining for BBC to do, but look to be clear gender imbalances in news and sport. Eg - John McEnroe paid same as Clare Balding... | Alot of explaining for BBC to do, but look to be clear gender imbalances in news and sport. Eg - John McEnroe paid same as Clare Balding... |
| 11.17am BST | 11.17am BST |
| 11:17 | 11:17 |
| Jamie Grierson | Jamie Grierson |
| The gender pay gap at the BBC is revealed in several stark examples. Here’s a selection: | The gender pay gap at the BBC is revealed in several stark examples. Here’s a selection: |
| Huw Edwards (£550,000 to £599,999) and Fiona Bruce (£350,000 to £399,999) | Huw Edwards (£550,000 to £599,999) and Fiona Bruce (£350,000 to £399,999) |
| John Humphrys (£600,000 to £649,999) and Mishal Husain (£200,000 to £250,000) | John Humphrys (£600,000 to £649,999) and Mishal Husain (£200,000 to £250,000) |
| Gary Lineker (£1,750,000 to £1,799,999) and Clare Balding (£150,000 to £199,999) | Gary Lineker (£1,750,000 to £1,799,999) and Clare Balding (£150,000 to £199,999) |
| Derek Thompson (£350,000 to £399,999) and Gillian Taylforth (£150,000 to £199,999) | Derek Thompson (£350,000 to £399,999) and Gillian Taylforth (£150,000 to £199,999) |
| Nick Knowles (£300,000 to £349,999) and Mel Giedroyc (£150,000 to £199,000) and | Nick Knowles (£300,000 to £349,999) and Mel Giedroyc (£150,000 to £199,000) and |
| Matt Baker (£450,000 to £499,000) and Alex Jones (£400,000 to £449,000). | Matt Baker (£450,000 to £499,000) and Alex Jones (£400,000 to £449,000). |
| 11.10am BST | 11.10am BST |
| 11:10 | 11:10 |
| Graham Ruddick | Graham Ruddick |
| Chris Evans was paid at least £2.2m by the BBC last year while Gary Lineker collected more than £1.75m and Graham Norton over £850,000, according to figures published by the corporation that highlight significant gender imbalances in its top stars’ salaries. | Chris Evans was paid at least £2.2m by the BBC last year while Gary Lineker collected more than £1.75m and Graham Norton over £850,000, according to figures published by the corporation that highlight significant gender imbalances in its top stars’ salaries. |
| The three male presenters are the top earners on an unprecedented list of the BBC’s highest-paid stars that the corporation published on Wednesday as part of its annual report. Only a third of the 96 top-earners are female and the top seven are all male. | The three male presenters are the top earners on an unprecedented list of the BBC’s highest-paid stars that the corporation published on Wednesday as part of its annual report. Only a third of the 96 top-earners are female and the top seven are all male. |
| The list includes 96 actors, presenters, journalists and panelists who were paid more than £150,000 in the last financial year. The BBC fought against the list being published but was forced to by the government as part of its new 11-year royal charter. | The list includes 96 actors, presenters, journalists and panelists who were paid more than £150,000 in the last financial year. The BBC fought against the list being published but was forced to by the government as part of its new 11-year royal charter. |
| The list reveals a major gender imbalance among the BBC’s top earners. Only two women – Claudia Winkleman, who presents Strictly Come Dancing, and Alex Jones, presenter of the One Show – are listed as earning more than £400,000 compared to 12 men. Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor, earns between £200,000 and £249,999 – less than PM host Eddie Mair, who earns between £300,000 and £349,999. | The list reveals a major gender imbalance among the BBC’s top earners. Only two women – Claudia Winkleman, who presents Strictly Come Dancing, and Alex Jones, presenter of the One Show – are listed as earning more than £400,000 compared to 12 men. Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor, earns between £200,000 and £249,999 – less than PM host Eddie Mair, who earns between £300,000 and £349,999. |
| There are also some high-profile female absentees from the list. Emily Maitlis, the newsreader, Sarah Montague, the presenter of the Today programme on Radio 4, and Louise Minchin, who presents BBC Breakfast, do not earn more than £150,000 a year according to the disclosure. | There are also some high-profile female absentees from the list. Emily Maitlis, the newsreader, Sarah Montague, the presenter of the Today programme on Radio 4, and Louise Minchin, who presents BBC Breakfast, do not earn more than £150,000 a year according to the disclosure. |
| In contrast, Huw Edwards, who presents the news as well as major events and documentaries, earned between £550,000 and £599,999; John Humphrys, who presents Today and Mastermind, collected £600,000 to £649,999; and Dan Walker, who presented Breakfast, Football Focus and Olympic coverage in 2016, was paid £200,000 to £249,999. | In contrast, Huw Edwards, who presents the news as well as major events and documentaries, earned between £550,000 and £599,999; John Humphrys, who presents Today and Mastermind, collected £600,000 to £649,999; and Dan Walker, who presented Breakfast, Football Focus and Olympic coverage in 2016, was paid £200,000 to £249,999. |
| 11.09am BST | 11.09am BST |
| 11:09 | 11:09 |
| ITV presenter and former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has been widely criticised for breaking the BBC’s embargo on the salaries, almost an hour early. | ITV presenter and former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has been widely criticised for breaking the BBC’s embargo on the salaries, almost an hour early. |
| BBC News stars' salaries: 1. Jeremy Vine: £700k-£749k2. Huw Edwards: £550k-£599k Highest paid woman: Fiona Bruce: £350k-£399k | BBC News stars' salaries: 1. Jeremy Vine: £700k-£749k2. Huw Edwards: £550k-£599k Highest paid woman: Fiona Bruce: £350k-£399k |
| He claimed that breaking the embargo was a scoop. | He claimed that breaking the embargo was a scoop. |
| Oh settle down, petal.I just scooped you. Be better next time. https://t.co/O9EQAHPFak | Oh settle down, petal.I just scooped you. Be better next time. https://t.co/O9EQAHPFak |
| Aww...somebody got scooped and is feeling very, VERY angry. 😆😆😆 https://t.co/Q0FkWfwIwZ | Aww...somebody got scooped and is feeling very, VERY angry. 😆😆😆 https://t.co/Q0FkWfwIwZ |
| I understand the word 'scoop' better. https://t.co/Xu7w8P9QtP | I understand the word 'scoop' better. https://t.co/Xu7w8P9QtP |
| 11.01am BST | 11.01am BST |
| 11:01 | 11:01 |
| Top ten BBC salaries revealed | Top ten BBC salaries revealed |
| These are the names of the stars in the top ten salary bands revealed in the annual report. | These are the names of the stars in the top ten salary bands revealed in the annual report. |
| 1. Chris Evans £2.2m - £2.25m | 1. Chris Evans £2.2m - £2.25m |
| 2. Gary Lineker £1.75m - £1.8m | 2. Gary Lineker £1.75m - £1.8m |
| 3. Graham Norton £850,0000 - £899,999 | 3. Graham Norton £850,0000 - £899,999 |
| 4. Jeremy Vine £700,000 - £749,999 | 4. Jeremy Vine £700,000 - £749,999 |
| 5. John Humphrys £600,000 - £649,999 | 5. John Humphrys £600,000 - £649,999 |
| 6. Huw Edwards £550,000 - £599,999 | 6. Huw Edwards £550,000 - £599,999 |
| 7. Steve Wright £500,000 - £549,999 | 7. Steve Wright £500,000 - £549,999 |
| = 8. Claudia Winkleman £450,000 - £499,999 | = 8. Claudia Winkleman £450,000 - £499,999 |
| = 8. Matt Baker £450,000 - £499,999 | = 8. Matt Baker £450,000 - £499,999 |
| = 9. Nicky Campbell £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Nicky Campbell £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Andrew Marr £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Andrew Marr £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Stephen Nolan £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Stephen Nolan £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Alan Shearer £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Alan Shearer £400,000 - £449,999 |
| =9. Alex Jones £400,000 - £449,000 | =9. Alex Jones £400,000 - £449,000 |
| 10. Fiona Bruce £350,000 - £399,999 | 10. Fiona Bruce £350,000 - £399,999 |
| 10.47am BST | 10.47am BST |
| 10:47 | 10:47 |
| Carmen Fishwick | Carmen Fishwick |
| We’d like you to share your reaction and thoughts on the BBC salaries. What do you think about the salaries of BBC stars’? And what do you think about the gender pay gap? | We’d like you to share your reaction and thoughts on the BBC salaries. What do you think about the salaries of BBC stars’? And what do you think about the gender pay gap? |
| You can fill in the form below and we’ll use a selection of responses in our reporting. | You can fill in the form below and we’ll use a selection of responses in our reporting. |
| 10.46am BST | 10.46am BST |
| 10:46 | 10:46 |
| Former Labour communication chief Alastair Campbell and former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger put the Daily Mail’s criticism of BBC salaries in context. | Former Labour communication chief Alastair Campbell and former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger put the Daily Mail’s criticism of BBC salaries in context. |
| As the Mail fuels up the bile barrels for the BBC remember Dacre earns more than the lot of them. And has enough homes for his own village | As the Mail fuels up the bile barrels for the BBC remember Dacre earns more than the lot of them. And has enough homes for his own village |
| Useful context: what major British media organisations pay for top talent #BBCpay pic.twitter.com/gyRzXI1bVZ | Useful context: what major British media organisations pay for top talent #BBCpay pic.twitter.com/gyRzXI1bVZ |