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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Top BBC bosses' expenses revealed | Top BBC bosses' expenses revealed |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| The BBC has published the expenses of some of its top executives, alongside the expenses and salaries of its 50 top-earning managers, on its website. | The BBC has published the expenses of some of its top executives, alongside the expenses and salaries of its 50 top-earning managers, on its website. |
| The corporation has revealed the figures in response to Freedom of Information requests. | The corporation has revealed the figures in response to Freedom of Information requests. |
| The detail includes two family holidays which had to be cut short by BBC director general Mark Thompson, costing a total of more than £3,514. | The detail includes two family holidays which had to be cut short by BBC director general Mark Thompson, costing a total of more than £3,514. |
| The total paid for talent will also be revealed but not individual star fees. | The total paid for talent will also be revealed but not individual star fees. |
| EXECUTIVE EXPENSES IN FULL | EXECUTIVE EXPENSES IN FULL |
| 2008/09 [115KB] 2007/08 [103KB] 2006/07 [108KB] 2005/06 [95KB] 2004/05 [93KB] | 2008/09 [115KB] 2007/08 [103KB] 2006/07 [108KB] 2005/06 [95KB] 2004/05 [93KB] |
| The salaries and expenses of the BBC's top 100 executives and decision-makers will also be published, quarterly, from September. | |
| The details already published on Thursday include £2,236.90 claimed by Mr Thompson to fly back from a holiday in Sicily, Italy, in October 2008 to deal with the row over lewd calls made to actor Andrew Sachs on Russell Brand's Radio 2 show. | |
| He also chartered a private plane from Maine to Boston - at a cost of £1,277.71 - on 8 August 2004 to interrupt a family holiday to return to London to deal with an urgent staff issue. | |
| Other expenses detailed include: | |
| • £99.99 claimed by Mr Thompson to pay for a bottle of vintage champagne given to Bruce Forsyth for his 80th birthday | |
| • £1,137.55 claimed by former head of audio and music Jenny Abramsky for a dinner to celebrate Terry Wogan's knighthood | |
| • £217 claimed by former future media and technology director Ashley Highfield for an iPod Touch | |
| 'Top decision-makers' | 'Top decision-makers' |
| 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. | 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". | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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 | Top talent |
| Mr Thompson said there was "a legitimate interest in how much the BBC spends on talent, including 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. | "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. | 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 | 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." | "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 their 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". |
| But in his speech Mr Thompson announced that a hospitality and gifts register would also be published. | But in his speech Mr Thompson announced that a hospitality and gifts register would also be published. |
| "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, more insistent and more vocal than ever before," Mr Thompson said. |
| 'Maintain trust' | '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 | 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, Mr Thompson said: "I don't underestimate the extent to which this may feel uncomfortable for individuals," Mr Thompson said in the email. | In an email to staff, Mr Thompson said: "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." |