back to article Stop all news – it's time for us plebs to be told about BBC paycheques!

The BBC is trembling with excitement following the enforced publication of the annual salaries of on-screen stars earning more than £150,000 at the tax-funded broadcaster. Exclusive to all news outlets everywhere this morning (actual figures were embargoed until 11am to ensure that the key lunchtime news rush would be …

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  1. ForthIsNotDead

    Scrutiny...

    Of course, the ones paying REALLY close attention to this publication will be the nice people at HMRC.

    I bet there's some loose sphincters at the BBC "talent" dept. today.

    1. 2460 Something

      Re: Scrutiny...

      Nah, they are routing it through their off-shore accounts, nobody will be looking at them too closely.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Scrutiny...

      Alex Jones, I can't help thinking she'd be earning £20K max in any other job.

      1. silks

        Re: Scrutiny...

        Looks like she gets £500K for co-presenting the One Show. Not sure that's great value for the BBC tax payer.

    3. gandalfcn Silver badge

      Re: Scrutiny...

      The whole thing is pointless unless all media are required to publish the details of how much they all pay. Starting with the Murdoch media and the Daily Wail.

      Will they? Will they f**k.

      So it is a waste of time you BBC bashers, aka Tories and the right wing media.

      1. rh587

        Re: Scrutiny...

        The whole thing is pointless unless all media are required to publish the details of how much they all pay. Starting with the Murdoch media and the Daily Wail.

        Indeed. Many were wailing as to whether Chris Evans is worth 10 Clare Baldings (who earned a paltry £150-200k), but conveniently ignored the fact that she doesn't actually do much work for the BBC. Although Balding seems to be ubiquitous, a huge amount of her work is for ITV, C4 or BT Sport (Horse Racing, Paralympics, The Clare Balding Show, etc). Despite T May's assertions, it is not "like for like" work. Some of the people on the list do one show a week, others are full time.

        Balding's only regular BBC gig is the Sunday Hour on R2, which puts her well amongst other niche output radio presenters.

        Evans/Lineker are outliers who we don't care about for purposes of overall gender analysis - what's more concerning is there are no women in positions 3-7 - where 5 men block out the £500k-£1Mil bracket.

    4. PatientOne

      Re: Scrutiny...

      People paying attention would have noticed this is payment from the license fee only: This isn't how much they earn in total, or how much the BBC are paying them in total - they could be paid in part (or in the case of some missing names, fully) from the commercial arm of the BBC which isn't included in the list, in addition to earnings from other sources, such as (as is mentioned below) production companies, shares etc.

      So more smoke and mirrors and outrage and a promise from the BBC to cut wages... or at least move payment away from the public eye.

      No loose sphincters involved: Just some quiet shell-games as they shuffle the money around a bit.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Scrutiny...

        "This isn't how much they earn in total.... "

        Well if you work one hour a week doing say a local BBC radio show and then earn £100m a year selling books about teabags, then why should it show that as part of this?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So my Jokey comment about employing a female doctor to save money was actually true.

    Life imitates art.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Well at least Jodie Whittaker can now set her own pay above Alex Jones, for starters. So 450K at least, Whittaker is worth every penny. Great actor.

    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      The Doctor is criminally underpaid. The guy who plays Charlie from Casualty (who's been in it since the beginning) gets about twice as much as Peter Capaldi. Shocking.

      Though to be fair, these figures don't include separate licensing type deals, so it's possible Capaldi gets lots of cash in merchandising rights. Which I doubt there's much of for Casualty, it not being a massive global brand.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "The Doctor is criminally underpaid. The guy who plays Charlie from Casualty (who's been in it since the beginning) gets about twice as much as Peter Capaldi. Shocking."

        Nothing to do with the Fact that Holby / Casualty are weekly shows, not a short series then?

      2. rh587

        The Doctor is criminally underpaid. The guy who plays Charlie from Casualty (who's been in it since the beginning) gets about twice as much as Peter Capaldi. Shocking.

        Though to be fair, these figures don't include separate licensing type deals, so it's possible Capaldi gets lots of cash in merchandising rights.

        I would say that's almost certainly the case - Merchandising will be managed by BBC Worldwide, who are a private company like ITV or C4 and consequently have not had to release figures (also why Attenborough is not on the list - his Nature Docs are commissioned by Worldwide).

      3. silks

        How many episodes of Casualty compared to Dr Who worked in the year though? The data doesn't show the hours worked, on or off screen so really hard to compare the value of the on screen talent compared to their renumeration.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The prime minister is paid a basic salary of £150k, and is expected to make the rest up in bribery, corruption, tax evasion, and privatisations that boost their own property portfolio.

    1. James 51

      The £150K for the prime minister is a purely political amount. If they could get away with more they could but given the money they make afterwards it''s not worth the hassle.

      1. Anonymous Custard
        Mushroom

        Why should she be any different to the rest of parliament ?

        Thinking back to all those expenses stories and cushy directorships and "speaking tours".

        Posh duck house or B.Liar tours anyone...?

    2. fidodogbreath

      The prime minister is paid a basic salary of £150k, and is expected to make the rest up in bribery, corruption, tax evasion, and privatisations that boost their own property portfolio.

      We recently moved to that system in the US.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        "We recently moved to that system in the US."

        You have a wide ranging opinion of what "recently" means :-)

        1. fidodogbreath

          You have a wide ranging opinion of what "recently" means

          Fair point. Our recent change was more like abandoning the pretense; or, how we learned to stop worrying and love the corruption.

      2. WolfFan Silver badge

        'Recently'?! Look up how Harry S Truman first got elected, starting with his very first political job, a County 'Judge', really kind of a commissioner.

        Space left for discussion of Daley, father and son

        More space left for Tammany Hall. Hint: Tammany Hall was started in the mid 1780s, or just after the French pried what's now the US loose from Britain.

        And it's not recent in the UK, either. <cough> Rotten borough </cough>

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The prime minister also gets a final salary pension calculated on the basis that they earned that £150K for their entire working life. A certain Mrs T brought that one in.

  4. Michael B.

    Today's real news

    Of course the real news today is that the retirement date has quietly been pushed forward to 68 for those currently between 39 and 47. Proving that today is a great day to bury bad news amongst this BBC salary froth.

    1. Nolveys
      Windows

      Of course the real news today is that the retirement date has quietly been pushed forward to 68 for those currently between 39 and 47.

      Retirement will be the new Fusion, always 20 years away. Maybe the government will good enough to provide us with those nice relaxing rooms with the music and nature videos that were featured in the film Soylent Green.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Today's real news

      By the time I get to retirement it'll be at least 71 and I'm 40+.

      I am under no illusion. I'll get 10 years based on life expectancy.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Today's real news

      >Of course the real news today is that the retirement date has quietly been pushed forward to 68

      Might as well give up giving up smoking then because I'll have alzheimers by then.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Today's real news

        Might as well you'll forget to smoke anyway.

  5. Aladdin Sane

    What's interesting

    Is the people not listed - Matt LeBlanc isn't on the list, which suggests he's paid by the commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

    1. Complicated Disaster

      Re: What's interesting

      I expect they all will be next year!!

    2. BoldMan

      Re: What's interesting

      Or he wasn't actually employed by the BBC but by the production company that made Top Gear. These are only the salaries of people directly contracted to the BBC so all those like Chris Evans or Graham Norton who have TV production companies as well as BC contracts are paid even more.

      That said, so fucking what!

      1. Aladdin Sane
        FAIL

        Re: What's interesting

        Top Gear IS produced by the BBC.

        In other news, seems like Wiki are begging again.

    3. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: What's interesting

      As someone said, this doesn't include people paid by production companies. Or merchandising deals and the like. So it's only a partial list. I can imagine a few more stars wanting to use their own production companies because of it - as clearly the Beeb then won't be publishing their salaries.

      Although I guess the real PR trick is to get a really low base salary, and have the rest paid as a percentage of merchandising rights, or a separate contract with your own production company.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Talent

    I find it odd the way these people are all referred to as 'talent': Graham Norton has talent whereas Huw Edwards is just a news reader.

    A more useful metric might be to divide the salary by the viewing figures to get an idea of who's earning their keep or not.

    1. BoldMan

      Re: Talent

      'Talent' is a catch-all term for those who appear in front of the camera or microphone...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Talent

      Graham Norton is very valuable because he shills upcoming movies. One of the few types of advertising the BBC can get away with.

    3. AndyMulhearn

      Re: Talent

      I find it odd the way these people are all referred to as 'talent': Graham Norton has talent whereas Huw Edwards is just a news reader.

      Compared to Dan Walker he is talent.

      1. Fink-Nottle
        Pint

        Re: Talent

        Norton? Lineker?

        Come on, everyone knows the BBC's real talent commentates on Test Match Special.

        1. FlossyThePig
          Pint

          Re: Talent

          Come on, everyone knows the BBC's real talent commentates on Test Match Special.

          TMS = many cakes!

          Pint icon because there isn't a cake one

  7. SkippyBing

    We’re now managing a situation we didn’t want

    I think you'll find most people are Lord Hall. Because I sure as **** didn't want to be managing this poorly acted farce.

    1. Aladdin Sane
      Trollface

      Re: We’re now managing a situation we didn’t want

      Bit harsh. The BBC employs some fine actors...

      1. Swiss Anton

        Re: We’re now managing a situation we didn’t want

        The guy who pretends to be a nurse on Casualty is definitely worth 10 times the salary of a real, and very experienced, band 7 nurse.

        1. Aladdin Sane

          Re: We’re now managing a situation we didn’t want

          If Casualty wanted more realism, half the staff should quit every year.

  8. wiggers

    So is the BBC any different to any other similar sized organisation? What about the top echelons of the NHS for example, or the tax office? Or is it just 'let's have a go at Auntie' kind of slow news week?

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2017/07/19/bbcs-top-pay-reveals-gender-pay-gap-this-is-normal-just-like-the-rest-of-society/

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Exactly. How long before we see all the other "named and shamed" high earners paid by the public purse? Will they be happy about having their personal salary spaffed all over the media and web?

      Local council execs, civil servants, NHS etc. It's a big list. And what about when the bar is lowered and anyone paid from the public purse is publicly named along with the salary? They'd all be out on strike, and quite rightly too.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        There is always the Norwegian system - where everyone's tax returns are available for public scrutiny.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. SkippyBing

      So is the BBC any different to any other similar sized organisation? What about the top echelons of the NHS for example, or the tax office? Or is it just 'let's have a go at Auntie' kind of slow news week?

      If they're civil servants they'll be on pay bands, which are publicly available, the civil service and indeed the armed forces have complete gender pay equality. So the tax office will have, not sure about the NHS though...

      1. Mad Mike

        @SkippyBing

        "If they're civil servants they'll be on pay bands, which are publicly available, the civil service and indeed the armed forces have complete gender pay equality. So the tax office will have, not sure about the NHS though..."

        Really? Just bringing in publically available pay bands etc. doesn't give them gender pay equality. Firstly, how many women and how many men in each band? Secondly, the men can still earn at the top of the band and women at the bottom.

        1. SkippyBing

          'Really? Just bringing in publically available pay bands etc. doesn't give them gender pay equality. Firstly, how many women and how many men in each band? Secondly, the men can still earn at the top of the band and women at the bottom.'

          Not sure about the numbers in each band but I suspect it's proportional to the numbers employed with the caveat women are more likely to take a career break to have children so may advance less quickly. But you go up an increment in each band every year until you reach the top of the band*. You advance to the bottom of the next band on promotion, there's no way to pay a women doing the same job less than a man.

          This is also why the public sector pay cap is less of a deal than some people make out, until you reach the top of a pay band you get an above inflation pay rise every year just for being there**.

          *This has recently changed in the armed forces to a bigger jump every other year but it's still automatic, there are normally ~5 increments in every band.

          **Admittedly it's a pain when you reach a top of your pay band at the point they introduce the pay cap and then don't get promoted for 5 years but hey, career choices.

  9. Pete 2 Silver badge

    Don't blame the stars for low pay

    > “But isn’t it quite embarrassing that two-thirds of those paid more than £150,000 are men?”

    I would expect that all these "stars" would have agents. People who negotiate their terms and conditions of employment. So if one "star" earns less than another, it can only be because that is what the agent negotiated and what they decided to accept.

    If women "stars" are being paid less than men, they should either stop accepting low-ball offers or get themselves better agents.

    A more reasonable value for money measure would be to calculate each "stars" £££s per viewer-hour rate. Take their pay and divide it by the number of viewers multiplied by the amount of time the viewers are forced to endure them watch or listen to them.

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