Post by Teddy Bear on Jul 1, 2010 19:51:52 GMT
No doubt the information when it comes out will be coupled with the claim of how valuable these 'stars' really are, related to what the BBC will tell us they are worth in the private sector. As far as I know, no 'star' is paid £6 million pound a year in the private sector, and certainly not one of the questionable 'value' like Jonathan Ross.
Valuable to who and why is what the BBC should have to declare along with the amounts paid?
Consider this next paragraph too;
Sir Michael said the corporation’s most senior executives had volunteered to take a pay cut both this year and next, which will be equivalent to a month’s salary in each year.
For Mr Thompson, this will amount over the two years to almost £140,000, and comes on top of a pay freeze and a ban on bonuses for senior executives.
Can you imagine losing a months salary of £70,000? Does it seem like the job done by the BBC really warrants Thompson's raking in anything like this much? No doubt they will find a way to rake it in separately on expenses.
BBC told it must reveal salaries of biggest names
The BBC must publicly identify the names and salaries of its highest-paid stars, its chairman Sir Michael Lyons has said.
Sir Michael said the broadcaster should bow to demands to disclose how much it pays its on-screen “talent”, including some of the best-known names in television.
The move is likely to lead to the salaries of such household names as Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman — both of whom are understood to earn at least £1million — and Fiona Bruce being published for scrutiny by licence fee-payers.
He said the exact salaries would not be disclosed, but would be published in bands — such as £750,000 to £1million or £1million to £5million — as suggested by the Commons culture, media and sport select committee.
It represents a significant climb down by the BBC, which had previously resisted all attempts to discover how much its top stars were paid.
Sir Michael, who chairs the BBC Trust that governs the broadcaster, also said the most senior executives would take a pay cut for the next two years.
The announcement follows a meeting between Sir Michael and Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, in which the minister is understood to have demanded more from the trust in its regulation of the BBC.
In a speech last night, Sir Michael said: “I do believe we should release the names of those who receive the biggest incomes from the BBC. You might try to characterise this move as a change of mind. It’s true that we’ve been listening carefully to licence fee-payers and we believe that this is one of a small number of areas where we need to recapture public confidence.”
He challenged Mark Thompson, the BBC director-general, to “work urgently on a plan to deliver greater transparency about who is at the top end of the talent pay scale”, although he admitted that contractual issues may make full disclosure difficult.
In the speech to the viewers’ group, the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Sir Michael also addressed the need for the BBC to cut costs in the face of the Government’s austerity drive in public spending and offer better value for money for the £3.6 billion of public money it receives. He said he wanted “tougher action” on pay.
“The BBC has to recognise the responsibilities that come with being a publicly funded body in turbulent economic times,” he said, signalling that the broadcaster must rein in its ambitions.
“We must be vigilant in resisting any temptation to act like an international commercial organisation, either in terms of our salary policies or our priorities.”
Sir Michael also paved the way for a potential cut in the £145.50 licence fee when it is renegotiated next year.
“The trust will enter those talks representing licence fee payers’ interests alone,” said Sir Michael. “We will not seek to maximise the BBC’s take from the licence fee. We will seek only what is necessary for the BBC to fulfil its public purposes as set out in the Charter.”
Sir Michael said the corporation’s most senior executives had volunteered to take a pay cut both this year and next, which will be equivalent to a month’s salary in each year.
For Mr Thompson, this will amount over the two years to almost £140,000, and comes on top of a pay freeze and a ban on bonuses for senior executives.
The move follows a series of announcements by the BBC this week about cost-cutting measures. On Monday, Caroline Thomson, the chief operating officer, announced a cap on pay for people recruited as senior managers, and on Tuesday the corporation said that it would make cuts to its pension scheme that are designed to save £50 million a year.
The BBC has also angered union leaders by proposing a pay freeze for all staff earning more than £37,726 a year, with a flat-rate pay increase of £475 a year for lower earners.
Bectu, the broadcasting union, yesterday threatened a strike ballot if the BBC did not improve its pay offer, which it described as “insulting”.
The moves follow a meeting between Sir Michael and Mr Hunt at which the Culture Secretary is understood to have demanded significant changes to the way the BBC is governed.
Mr Hunt wants to see an end to Sir Michael’s dual role as BBC “cheerleader” and to see the trust focus only on its role in regulating the BBC.
The minister wants the BBC Trust to be renamed the “Licence Fee Payers’ Trust” to reflect its duty to ensure value for money.
Valuable to who and why is what the BBC should have to declare along with the amounts paid?
Consider this next paragraph too;
Sir Michael said the corporation’s most senior executives had volunteered to take a pay cut both this year and next, which will be equivalent to a month’s salary in each year.
For Mr Thompson, this will amount over the two years to almost £140,000, and comes on top of a pay freeze and a ban on bonuses for senior executives.
Can you imagine losing a months salary of £70,000? Does it seem like the job done by the BBC really warrants Thompson's raking in anything like this much? No doubt they will find a way to rake it in separately on expenses.
BBC told it must reveal salaries of biggest names
The BBC must publicly identify the names and salaries of its highest-paid stars, its chairman Sir Michael Lyons has said.
Sir Michael said the broadcaster should bow to demands to disclose how much it pays its on-screen “talent”, including some of the best-known names in television.
The move is likely to lead to the salaries of such household names as Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman — both of whom are understood to earn at least £1million — and Fiona Bruce being published for scrutiny by licence fee-payers.
He said the exact salaries would not be disclosed, but would be published in bands — such as £750,000 to £1million or £1million to £5million — as suggested by the Commons culture, media and sport select committee.
It represents a significant climb down by the BBC, which had previously resisted all attempts to discover how much its top stars were paid.
Sir Michael, who chairs the BBC Trust that governs the broadcaster, also said the most senior executives would take a pay cut for the next two years.
The announcement follows a meeting between Sir Michael and Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, in which the minister is understood to have demanded more from the trust in its regulation of the BBC.
In a speech last night, Sir Michael said: “I do believe we should release the names of those who receive the biggest incomes from the BBC. You might try to characterise this move as a change of mind. It’s true that we’ve been listening carefully to licence fee-payers and we believe that this is one of a small number of areas where we need to recapture public confidence.”
He challenged Mark Thompson, the BBC director-general, to “work urgently on a plan to deliver greater transparency about who is at the top end of the talent pay scale”, although he admitted that contractual issues may make full disclosure difficult.
In the speech to the viewers’ group, the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Sir Michael also addressed the need for the BBC to cut costs in the face of the Government’s austerity drive in public spending and offer better value for money for the £3.6 billion of public money it receives. He said he wanted “tougher action” on pay.
“The BBC has to recognise the responsibilities that come with being a publicly funded body in turbulent economic times,” he said, signalling that the broadcaster must rein in its ambitions.
“We must be vigilant in resisting any temptation to act like an international commercial organisation, either in terms of our salary policies or our priorities.”
Sir Michael also paved the way for a potential cut in the £145.50 licence fee when it is renegotiated next year.
“The trust will enter those talks representing licence fee payers’ interests alone,” said Sir Michael. “We will not seek to maximise the BBC’s take from the licence fee. We will seek only what is necessary for the BBC to fulfil its public purposes as set out in the Charter.”
Sir Michael said the corporation’s most senior executives had volunteered to take a pay cut both this year and next, which will be equivalent to a month’s salary in each year.
For Mr Thompson, this will amount over the two years to almost £140,000, and comes on top of a pay freeze and a ban on bonuses for senior executives.
The move follows a series of announcements by the BBC this week about cost-cutting measures. On Monday, Caroline Thomson, the chief operating officer, announced a cap on pay for people recruited as senior managers, and on Tuesday the corporation said that it would make cuts to its pension scheme that are designed to save £50 million a year.
The BBC has also angered union leaders by proposing a pay freeze for all staff earning more than £37,726 a year, with a flat-rate pay increase of £475 a year for lower earners.
Bectu, the broadcasting union, yesterday threatened a strike ballot if the BBC did not improve its pay offer, which it described as “insulting”.
The moves follow a meeting between Sir Michael and Mr Hunt at which the Culture Secretary is understood to have demanded significant changes to the way the BBC is governed.
Mr Hunt wants to see an end to Sir Michael’s dual role as BBC “cheerleader” and to see the trust focus only on its role in regulating the BBC.
The minister wants the BBC Trust to be renamed the “Licence Fee Payers’ Trust” to reflect its duty to ensure value for money.