The BBC’s spending on star pay soared by around £10million last year, it can be revealed today.
New figures will show the broadcaster spent approximately £157million on ‘on-air’ talent last year – up from £147.6million the year before.
This is a rise of nearly 7 per cent, about two-and-a-half times the inflation rate.
The figures, to be revealed soon in the BBC’s annual report, are likely to reignite fury over the Corporation’s decision to strip over-75s of their free TV licences.
The BBC has insisted it cannot afford the concession for pensioners, and that it should be means-tested.
New figures will show the BBC spent approximately £157m on ‘on-air’ talent last year – up from £147.6m the year before. It will also disclose the salary details of every executive or star who is paid £150,000 or more. In 2017, just four of the 20 highest-paid stars were female. Many big names – including Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis (above) and Radio 4 host Sarah Montague – did not appear on the list at all, because they did not earn over £150,000
The figures, to be revealed soon in the BBC’s annual report, are likely to reignite fury over the Corporation’s decision to strip over-75s of their free TV licences. The BBC hiked the salaries of more than 300 people in a bid to draw a line under the gender pay row. Newsreader Sophie Raworth (left), Radio 5 Live host Rachel Burden, Europe editor Katya Adler (right), and Miss Maitlis and Miss Montague all received major boosts to their pay packet after the row erupted
But angry campaigners have called on the BBC to slash stars’ salaries to help fund the benefit. Last night, MPs branded the rise ‘unjustifiable’ and accused the BBC of asking pensioners to ‘subsidise’ star salaries.
Damian Collins, the Conservative chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: ‘The pay increase levels are unjustifiable, especially when we were told that the BBC would be looking to make pay between men and women at the corporation fairer by reducing salaries for some of the highest-earning male presenters.
‘Pensioners who face losing their free licence will rightly fear that they are being asked to subsidise ever-rising pay costs at the BBC.’
John Whittingdale, a former Tory Culture Secretary, added: ‘This is a time when the BBC are pleading financial pressures. I think that many people would expect that – at the very least – that should mean their talent bill should stay the same. It is very difficult to justify why the BBC needs to pay vast amounts of money.’
