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| ITV chairman says it will never reveal how much it pays its stars | ITV chairman says it will never reveal how much it pays its stars |
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| The chairman of ITV has weighed in on the gender pay row, saying his company would never reveal details of deals with its stars but expects to show an improvement in the gap between male and female staff when it is forced to report figures next year. | The chairman of ITV has weighed in on the gender pay row, saying his company would never reveal details of deals with its stars but expects to show an improvement in the gap between male and female staff when it is forced to report figures next year. |
| Sir Peter Bazalgette, the chairman of the UK’s biggest commercial free-to-air broadcaster, said it took the issue seriously but would not consider following the BBC in publishing details of the pay of its top staff. | Sir Peter Bazalgette, the chairman of the UK’s biggest commercial free-to-air broadcaster, said it took the issue seriously but would not consider following the BBC in publishing details of the pay of its top staff. |
| “We take gender issues, employment and pay very seriously as a company,” said Bazalgette, the former creative chief and chairman of Big Brother programme-maker Endemol. “But we are a commercial broadcaster. The BBC is funded with public money. We would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV.” | “We take gender issues, employment and pay very seriously as a company,” said Bazalgette, the former creative chief and chairman of Big Brother programme-maker Endemol. “But we are a commercial broadcaster. The BBC is funded with public money. We would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV.” |
| He said 52% of ITV’s 6,531 staff were female, and women accounted for 43% of its 146 senior managers. | He said 52% of ITV’s 6,531 staff were female, and women accounted for 43% of its 146 senior managers. |
| However, the company’s latest annual report also shows that just two of its eight-strong board are female. | However, the company’s latest annual report also shows that just two of its eight-strong board are female. |
| Following the arrival of the new chief executive, Carolyn McCall, the easyJet chief who joins on 8 January, the ratio will become three to five. | Following the arrival of the new chief executive, Carolyn McCall, the easyJet chief who joins on 8 January, the ratio will become three to five. |
| From next year, the government is forcing companies with more than 250 employees to disclose how much they are paying in salaries and bonuses to their male and female staff, which will be published in a league table ranking large firms by their gender pay gaps. | From next year, the government is forcing companies with more than 250 employees to disclose how much they are paying in salaries and bonuses to their male and female staff, which will be published in a league table ranking large firms by their gender pay gaps. |
| “Next April as required we will publish gender pay gap numbers,” Bazalgette said. “That is something we monitor closely and we will be able to show a year-on-year improvement in those numbers. But in terms of specific contracts, confidential contracts, of talent behind and in front of the camera, that is not something we would ever reveal.” | “Next April as required we will publish gender pay gap numbers,” Bazalgette said. “That is something we monitor closely and we will be able to show a year-on-year improvement in those numbers. But in terms of specific contracts, confidential contracts, of talent behind and in front of the camera, that is not something we would ever reveal.” |
| Bazalgette said ITV was already striving to increase the diversity of on- and off-air talent in its ranks as a member of an industry initiative called Project Diamond, which measures the ethnic, gender and sexual orientation makeup of the British television industry. The project also counts the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky as participants. | Bazalgette said ITV was already striving to increase the diversity of on- and off-air talent in its ranks as a member of an industry initiative called Project Diamond, which measures the ethnic, gender and sexual orientation makeup of the British television industry. The project also counts the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky as participants. |
| “We are supporters and subscribers to Project Diamond ... to work hard hard to monitor and improve diversity in front of the camera and behind the camera,” he said. | “We are supporters and subscribers to Project Diamond ... to work hard hard to monitor and improve diversity in front of the camera and behind the camera,” he said. |
| Last week, the BBC published a list of stars paid more than £150,000 a year, which sparked a row over the glaring differences in the pay rates of men and women at the corporation. | Last week, the BBC published a list of stars paid more than £150,000 a year, which sparked a row over the glaring differences in the pay rates of men and women at the corporation. |
| The BBC’s list revealed that one-third of its top earners were women and the top seven were all men, with male co-presenters frequently earning more than their female colleagues. | The BBC’s list revealed that one-third of its top earners were women and the top seven were all men, with male co-presenters frequently earning more than their female colleagues. |
| On Sunday, more than 40 of the BBC’s most high-profile women wrote to Tony Hall, the director general, calling on him to urgently correct the gender pay gap. | On Sunday, more than 40 of the BBC’s most high-profile women wrote to Tony Hall, the director general, calling on him to urgently correct the gender pay gap. |
| Earlier this month, Channel 4 said it had no intention of following the BBC in revealing the salaries of its top talent. Channel 4 is state-owned but, unlike the BBC, is independently funded mostly through TV advertising. | Earlier this month, Channel 4 said it had no intention of following the BBC in revealing the salaries of its top talent. Channel 4 is state-owned but, unlike the BBC, is independently funded mostly through TV advertising. |
| “This is a heated issue and a very political one,” said Jay Hunt, Channel 4’s outgoing chief creative officer. “I am very much of the view that it is inflationary and causes competitive situations with other broadcasters and is not an effective way of managing talent.” | “This is a heated issue and a very political one,” said Jay Hunt, Channel 4’s outgoing chief creative officer. “I am very much of the view that it is inflationary and causes competitive situations with other broadcasters and is not an effective way of managing talent.” |