This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/8118233.stm

The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
BBC to publish executive expenses BBC to publish executive expenses
(about 2 hours later)
The BBC is to publish the salaries and expenses of its top 100 executives and decision-makers, its director general Mark Thompson will announce later. The BBC is to publish the salaries and detailed expenses of its top 100 executives and decision-makers, director general Mark Thompson says.
Salaries and detailed expenses will be published alongside named executives later this year. The total spend for on-air talent will also be revealed. The total amount paid to BBC stars will also be revealed, but Mr Thompson said it "does not make sense" to release details of individual star's fees.
In addition, the expenses of some top executives will be released on Thursday after a Freedom of Information request. The information will be published on a quarterly basis, starting in September.
The BBC already publishes the pay details of its executive board. In addition, the expenses of some top executives and pay of 50 top-earning managers will be released on Thursday.
The pay and expenses of the corporation's governing body, the BBC Trust, are also available to the public. The BBC already publishes the pay details of its executive board, as well as the pay and expenses of the corporation's governing body, the BBC Trust.
In a speech to the Chartered Institute of Public Finances and Accountancy's annual conference in Manchester, Mr Thompson said the trust and the BBC's executive board had "strongly encouraged us to look at whether we could and should go further in our practice of routine disclosure".
Media attention will doubtless now focus on the BBC's reluctance to make public the same kind of information about highly-paid presenters or 'talent' Martin Rosenbaum
As a result, there would now be a breakdown of the pay and expenses of the "top 50 earners in BBC management" and 50 "top decision-makers", he said.
The 100 individuals, including "those with the greatest responsibility both for spending public money and for overseeing the BBC's services and operations", will be published in addition to the existing publication of the salaries of executive directors.
Top talent
Mr Thompson said there was "a legitimate interest in how much the BBC spends on talent, including top talent".
"In future, we will disclose the total amount we spend on talent as a whole, and we will work on a plan to make our spend on talent more transparent so the public can monitor the direction of travel over time," he said.
But it would be wrong to disclose individual star salaries "in an industry where confidentiality is the norm", he added.
Stars such as Forsyth and Ross have been warned of pay cuts
"There's a real danger that talent would migrate to broadcasters where confidential information about how much they are paid will not be disclosed."
Earlier this month, stars including Bruce Forsyth and Sir Terry Wogan were warned to expect their salaries to be cut when there contracts were renewed as part of the BBC's plan to save money.
A report in the Times on Thursday suggested the BBC was "refusing to reveal how much is spent on hospitality and gifts for its best-paid celebrities".A report in the Times on Thursday suggested the BBC was "refusing to reveal how much is spent on hospitality and gifts for its best-paid celebrities".
However, in a speech to the Chartered Institute of Public Finances and Accountancy's annual conference in Manchester later, Mr Thompson is expected to announce that a hospitality and gifts register will be published. But in his speech Mr Thompson announced that a hospitality and gifts register would also be published.
I firmly believe that these changes will help us maintain trust with the licence fee payer and will ensure the BBC continues to lead the way in transparency Mark Thompson "Public expectations about openness, trustworthiness and every kind of value for money are becoming more trenchant, more insistent and more vocal than ever before," Mr Thompson said.
"Public expectations about openness, trustworthiness and every kind of value for money are becoming more trenchant and insistent," he will say. 'Maintain trust'
BBC correspondent Torin Douglas said there was "a great appetite" for this material in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal.BBC correspondent Torin Douglas said there was "a great appetite" for this material in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal.
Privacy rights will prevent some claims, such as money spent on lunches to recruit people who did not go on to join the BBC, from being published. Privacy rights will prevent some claims - such as money spent on lunches to recruit people who did not go on to join the BBC - from being published.
There's a real danger that talent would migrate to broadcasters where confidential information about how much they are paid will not be disclosed Mark Thompson, on not disclosing the fees of BBC stars
But Mr Thompson was keen that as much information as possible was published, our correspondent added.But Mr Thompson was keen that as much information as possible was published, our correspondent added.
In an email to staff on Thursday, Mr Thompson said that the BBC would also be "answering a number of existing Freedom of Information requests in relation to expenses and salaries".In an email to staff on Thursday, Mr Thompson said that the BBC would also be "answering a number of existing Freedom of Information requests in relation to expenses and salaries".
That included "line-by-line" expenses for executive directors for the past five years and the names of the top 50 highest earners in BBC management "along with their salaries published in £30,000 brackets".That included "line-by-line" expenses for executive directors for the past five years and the names of the top 50 highest earners in BBC management "along with their salaries published in £30,000 brackets".
"I don't underestimate the extent to which this may feel uncomfortable for individuals," Mr Thompson said in the email."I don't underestimate the extent to which this may feel uncomfortable for individuals," Mr Thompson said in the email.
"However, I firmly believe that these changes will help us maintain trust with the licence fee payer and will ensure the BBC continues to lead the way in transparency and disclosure.""However, I firmly believe that these changes will help us maintain trust with the licence fee payer and will ensure the BBC continues to lead the way in transparency and disclosure."