Top 'talent' pocket £54 million a year from licence-fee payers, BBC reveals

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 22:00

THE BBC spends £54 million a year on its top "talent" celebrities, who are earning at least £150,000 annually, figures released yesterday reveal.

Top-tier earners, including entertainers such as Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton and Stephen Fry, as well as presenters Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Bruce, earn salaries outstripping the Prime Minister.

The BBC, which came under fire for Ross's 6m-a-year deal, pays a total of 229m a year to staff, ranging from extras on River City and EastEnders to newsreaders, from the 3.6 billion annual licence fee.

The salaries published in bands do not give details of individual salaries, but top earners' wages have previously been revealed in a series of leaks.

In 2006, Paxman was cited as earning more than 1m a year, combining his then-800,000 Newsnight programme salary with 240,000 earnings for presenting University Challenge.

EastEnders star Barbara Windsor, who plays Peggy Mitchell, earned 360,000, while June Brown, who stars as Dot Cotton, pocketed 370,000.

The report, which will be published every year, shows 16m was spent on those in the 100,000 to 150,000 bracket; 44m on those earning between 50,000 and 100,000; and 115m on those earning up to 50,000.

Media commentators said despite increasing political pressure for the BBC to cut salaries, celebrities and their agents would be aware they were getting a deal which the recession-hit commercial sector could rarely match.

Andrew Jones, a former BBC senior manager and head of journalism at Robert Gordon University, in Aberdeen, said: "While other broadcasters are struggling with declining advertising and more competition from the proliferation in digital platforms such as YouTube and blogs, the BBC has still been able to pay top rate.

"It knows that in order to defend the licence fee, it must provide something for all audiences and entertainment is one sector where salaries are very high.

"There is no reason why the BBC can't retain the big names. In fact, I would say defections to commercial broadcast companies will be the exception because the market rate is just not there.

"The market for talent is in recession with only a small number of big names such as Jonathan Ross and Simon Cowell having the ability to command high salaries in the commercial sector."

Vivienne Pattison, director of Mediawatch UK, said: "Viewers want to see value for money and we have a lot of concerns about the BBC's values, as was highlighted when over 40,000 complaints were received about Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand last year."

The information was released as part of the corporation's quarterly disclosure of salaries paid to its top 107 executives.

Earlier this week, the chairman of the BBC Trust said the corporation must be willing to walk away from negotiations with top stars.

Sir Michael Lyons said the BBC must bring on more new talent rather than sign up the usual, expensive faces.

He said there would be an end to "excessive salaries", stating: "We are simply not going to see what the public regard as excessive salaries, so (the BBC] must be harder in negotiations."

The corporation released businesses expenses of the 107 most senior staff. A total of 188,000 was claimed in overall expenses by the executives between July and September 2009, a monthly average per executive of 586.

The BBC also published a register of the gifts and hospitality received by senior managers.

Director-general Mark Thompson attended Glyndebourne, the Wimbledon Ladies' Final, the Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Box at Ascot with his wife last year. He also attended the British Grand Prix with his son.

Mr Thompson, who earns 664,000 a year, has claims ranging from 57p for a parking meter to 5,616 through the BBC's bookings system for a flight to Seoul.

Creative director Alan Yentob's expenses included 317.19 for hosting a dinner for ten people to celebrate an anniversary of the arts programme Monitor which, according to the internet movie database, was last broadcast in 1965.

Who's who in the great Beeb carve-up

150k+

WHILE the BBC did not publish details of its stars' salaries yesterday, a series of leaks from "moles" within the corporation have provided mouth-watering payroll hints.

&#149 Jonathan Ross, the chat show host, will soon be waving goodbye to a lucrative BBC career which landed him a 6 million-a-year deal.

&#149 Jeremy Paxman, the Newsnight presenter who terrifies politicians and also acts as quiz master for University Challenge, earns more than 1 million from his BBC contracts. Figures leaked in 2006 revealed that his salary consisted of 800,000 from Newsnight and 240,000 – 7,741 per show – for presenting University Challenge.

&#149 Terry Wogan, the recently retired Radio 2 breakfast show host beloved of TOGs (Terry's Old Geezers) was said to be earning around 850,000.

&#149 Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles earns about 630,000 for his breakfast show.

&#149 Former news reporter Fiona Bruce, who now presents Antiques Roadshow, is said to earn around 400,000 per year.

&#149 Anne Robinson, the stern inquisitor of BBC2's The Weakest Link reportedly earns 450,000 per series.

&#149 Strictly Come Dancing host Bruce Forsyth rakes in 415,000 a year from the show.

&#149 EastEnders star Barbara Windsor, who plays Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell, earns around 360,000 per year. She is due to leave the show later this year. Her co-star June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton, is paid about 370,000.

100k-150k

&#149 Janice Long, DJ, earns 137,000 for her very early morning shows – midnight to 3am, five days a week.

&#149 Scott Mills, Radio 1 DJ, earns 130,000 for his drivetime show.

&#149 Zane Lowe – also at Radio 1, where he hosts the 7pm-9pm show – also earns 130,000.

&#149 Claudia Winkleman, 34, earned 110,000 for fronting Strictly Come Dancing's BBC2 spin-off It Takes Two.

50k-100k

&#149 DJ Bob Harris earns 96,000 for his three shows a week.

&#149 Carrie Gracie, the BBC news presenter, had the tables turned on her during an interview when Labour peer George Foulkes extracted the admission that she earned 92,000 a year.

&#149 Pete Tong, the Radio 1 dance music DJ, is said to take home 70,000 a year.

Up to 50k

Celebrities competing on Strictly Come Dancing earn just over 25,000 per series with an extra 5,000 for taking part in the Christmas special. The professional dancers they are paired with earn 17,000. Regular show judges earn 13,750.