BBC... "top sliced"?

[steevo]

A major report into the future of broadcasting by the communications minister, Lord Carter, will recommend giving a large part of the licence fee to rivals.

www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-told-to-give-163100m-to-rivals-1704934.html

[Teddy Bear]

But as you can see from this story, it's not those AT the top that will be getting sliced

Junior presenters revolt over plans to cut their pay by 40%
By James Tapper
The BBC’s lower-paid stars are to ambush the Corporation’s top executives over plans to cut their pay by up to 40 per cent.
Junior presenters are said to be ‘furious’ that director-general Mark Thompson is asking them to take a pay cut while executives keep salaries of up to £500,000.

Several junior entertainment and news presenters are now planning to use a meeting tomorrow to turn the tables on Mr Thompson and other BBC bosses about their own salaries and expenses.

Last week, Mr Thompson told 100 TV and radio stars they should expect pay cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent when their contracts are renewed.

The director-general and members of the BBC’s executive board will field questions from staff at a Question Time-style session at 3.30pm tomorrow. The meeting, called The Big Debate, will be chaired by Radio 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell, and has been advertised to staff as ‘an opportunity to quiz directors on important subjects that matter to you about the BBC’.

It is being held in a TV studio and will be broadcast on the Corporation’s internal website.

A BBC News source said: ‘People know times are hard and that we have to tighten our belts too. But why should we be the only ones to feel the pain when managers are still collecting their salaries?

‘Lots of people are spitting mad about this – it seems to be one rule for us and another rule for them.’

Mr Thompson earned a package worth £816,000 last year, while his deputy, Mark Byford, took home £513,000. Director of vision Jana Bennett collected £536,000 in salary, bonus, expenses and pension contributions.

Although Mr Thompson has waived his bonus for the past four years, other executives collected up to £41,000 last year. In January, the BBC announced 400 managers would have a pay freeze and not receive any bonuses, effectively losing ten per cent of their salaries.

Although many of its top stars have huge pay deals, such as Jonathan Ross’s three-year £18million contract, lesser-known presenters earn far less, taking home around £100,000 a year.

But Graham Stuart, business partner of Graham Norton, who earns £2.5million a year, insisted stars were not paid too much. He said: ‘I say it’s the opposite; they are not paid enough.

‘Remember, the entire TV industry is based squarely on the shoulders of a very few talented people with special skills and with longevity. I say cutting their pay is a major mistake.’
Industry sources said they believe the BBC directors will eventually scrap the Corporation’s bonus scheme. ‘I can’t see anyone tabling a motion next year to say “Oh let’s have our bonuses back”,’ the source added. ‘It’s not going to happen.’