Ex-BBC deputy director-general defends £1m payoff

FORMER BBC deputy director-general Mark Byford has defended his payoff of almost £1 million – denying that he had been greedy.

Former BBC deputy director-general Mark Byford, who received a £949,00 payoff, denies being 'greedy'. Picture: PA

Mr Byford, whose annual salary was £475,000, received a total of £949,000 when he was made redundant by the corporation.

His payment is one of several which have drawn widespread criticism of the BBC.

But when asked on BBC Radio 5 Live whether he would pay back some of the sum, Mr Byford responded: “I have done nothing wrong.”

He told Victoria Derbyshire’s show: “I appreciate, obviously, and understand that it was a lot of money. I appreciate the concern and criticism about the executive payoffs.”

But he added: “I absolutely don’t think it was greed on my part at all.”

Mr Byford, who was on the radio show to talk about his new book, a war story, said: “I lost my job. I was made redundant. I was given the terms I was given by the BBC. I left when I was told to leave by the BBC.

“After 32 years of working there, where I was devoted to the corporation, the last thing that I would ever think or feel was that I would want to have greed.”