Post by Teddy Bear on Apr 2, 2011 15:46:03 GMT
Two elements to this story -
We can easily understand why the BBC really prefers not to reveal how much they pay those they consider 'top talent'. It would show just how wasteful they are with the public money for the little quality we know we receive in return. They are like pigs at a trough.
Why isn't the government ORDERING the BBC to reveal their spending on what they perceive as 'talent'? This makes BBC above government control.
We can easily understand why the BBC really prefers not to reveal how much they pay those they consider 'top talent'. It would show just how wasteful they are with the public money for the little quality we know we receive in return. They are like pigs at a trough.
Why isn't the government ORDERING the BBC to reveal their spending on what they perceive as 'talent'? This makes BBC above government control.
BBC's top talent list to remain secret after U-turn by Sir Michael Lyons
The BBC’s list of its highest-paid stars is to stay secret, after a humiliating U-turn by the corporation’s outgoing chairman, Sir Michael Lyons.
By Neil Midgley, Assistant Editor (Media) 12:01AM BST 02 Apr 2011
Sir Michael had staked his reputation on publishing the names of the BBC’s highest-earning on-air “talent”, saying in a landmark speech in June last year that he had asked the corporation’s director-general, Mark Thompson, “to work urgently on a plan” to make the list public.
“The Trust is giving a clear signal that it wants to see change in this area,” said Sir Michael.
But his demands infuriated BBC bosses and, nine months later, no list has been published.
While the supervisory BBC Trust, which Sir Michael chairs, maintains that it is still pressuring BBC management to find a way to identify the highest earners - a list which would likely include Graham Norton, Anne Robinson and Jeremy Paxman - senior BBC sources privately acknowledge that no such disclosure will be made in the foreseeable future.
Mr Thompson and his team believe that data protection and privacy requirements, as well as confidentiality clauses in contracts with individual stars, make it almost impossible for the BBC to publish the list.
BBC managers even considered implementing different terms for new contracts with "talent", but it is understood that they were advised by their lawyers that this was unacceptable as it could lead to pre-existing, confidential deals being identified by a process of elimination.
Mr Thompson has also said that the BBC’s ability to negotiate the most cost-effective deals with individual stars would be hampered by greater transparency about pay. “I continue to believe it would be wrong and it would be damaging and destructive to the BBC and its ability to get top stars to actually publish individual salaries, because we’re in competition with other broadcasters and no other broadcaster publishes this information,” he said last year.
Sir Michael’s failure to implement his most high-profile policy will further lower his already damaged reputation at Westminster, with ministers and influential MPs irritated that no progress has been made.
It is understood that Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, and Lord Patten of Barnes, Sir Michael’s replacement as BBC chairman from May 1, will continue to press for greater transparency.
A government source said: “We were concerned about this issue, and welcomed the moves that the BBC made. It would be disappointing if they backtracked.”
John Whittingdale MP, the chairman of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: “The chairman of the BBC Trust is supposedly setting the agenda - if he says something, we expect it to happen. It’s disappointing that assurances were given by Sir Michael nearly a year ago, but nothing has yet been delivered.”
The BBC already publishes a list of salary bands for “talent”, together with the total amount spent on stars in each band.
But the highest band is “£150,000 plus”, and Mr Whittingdale’s committee recommended last year that it should be split into narrower bands - £250,000 to £500,000; £500,000 to £750,000; £750,000 to £1million; £1million to £5million; and £5million plus - and that the number of stars in each band, instead of just their aggregate pay, should be published.
The BBC has accepted the recommendations but said they will not be implemented until the publication of its next annual report in July, leading Mr Whittingdale to write to Mr Thompson last week demanding swifter action.
“Sir Michael accepted our recommendation with a great trumpet, but after something approaching a year, nothing has happened,” said Mr Whittingdale. “It doesn’t require the BBC to do very much - they could publish these figures tomorrow.”
The BBC’s list of its highest-paid stars is to stay secret, after a humiliating U-turn by the corporation’s outgoing chairman, Sir Michael Lyons.
By Neil Midgley, Assistant Editor (Media) 12:01AM BST 02 Apr 2011
Sir Michael had staked his reputation on publishing the names of the BBC’s highest-earning on-air “talent”, saying in a landmark speech in June last year that he had asked the corporation’s director-general, Mark Thompson, “to work urgently on a plan” to make the list public.
“The Trust is giving a clear signal that it wants to see change in this area,” said Sir Michael.
But his demands infuriated BBC bosses and, nine months later, no list has been published.
While the supervisory BBC Trust, which Sir Michael chairs, maintains that it is still pressuring BBC management to find a way to identify the highest earners - a list which would likely include Graham Norton, Anne Robinson and Jeremy Paxman - senior BBC sources privately acknowledge that no such disclosure will be made in the foreseeable future.
Mr Thompson and his team believe that data protection and privacy requirements, as well as confidentiality clauses in contracts with individual stars, make it almost impossible for the BBC to publish the list.
BBC managers even considered implementing different terms for new contracts with "talent", but it is understood that they were advised by their lawyers that this was unacceptable as it could lead to pre-existing, confidential deals being identified by a process of elimination.
Mr Thompson has also said that the BBC’s ability to negotiate the most cost-effective deals with individual stars would be hampered by greater transparency about pay. “I continue to believe it would be wrong and it would be damaging and destructive to the BBC and its ability to get top stars to actually publish individual salaries, because we’re in competition with other broadcasters and no other broadcaster publishes this information,” he said last year.
Sir Michael’s failure to implement his most high-profile policy will further lower his already damaged reputation at Westminster, with ministers and influential MPs irritated that no progress has been made.
It is understood that Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, and Lord Patten of Barnes, Sir Michael’s replacement as BBC chairman from May 1, will continue to press for greater transparency.
A government source said: “We were concerned about this issue, and welcomed the moves that the BBC made. It would be disappointing if they backtracked.”
John Whittingdale MP, the chairman of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: “The chairman of the BBC Trust is supposedly setting the agenda - if he says something, we expect it to happen. It’s disappointing that assurances were given by Sir Michael nearly a year ago, but nothing has yet been delivered.”
The BBC already publishes a list of salary bands for “talent”, together with the total amount spent on stars in each band.
But the highest band is “£150,000 plus”, and Mr Whittingdale’s committee recommended last year that it should be split into narrower bands - £250,000 to £500,000; £500,000 to £750,000; £750,000 to £1million; £1million to £5million; and £5million plus - and that the number of stars in each band, instead of just their aggregate pay, should be published.
The BBC has accepted the recommendations but said they will not be implemented until the publication of its next annual report in July, leading Mr Whittingdale to write to Mr Thompson last week demanding swifter action.
“Sir Michael accepted our recommendation with a great trumpet, but after something approaching a year, nothing has happened,” said Mr Whittingdale. “It doesn’t require the BBC to do very much - they could publish these figures tomorrow.”