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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jul/18/bbc-expects-backlash-stars-salaries-says-theyre-worth-it-tony-hall
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| BBC expects backlash over stars' salaries but says they're worth it | BBC expects backlash over stars' salaries but says they're worth it |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The BBC has defended how much it pays presenters and journalists as it revealed 96 stars earn more than £150,000 a year and just a third are female. | The BBC has defended how much it pays presenters and journalists as it revealed 96 stars earn more than £150,000 a year and just a third are female. |
| Tony Hall, the corporation’s director general, said its on-air talent “help make the BBC what it is” as the broadcaster prepares for a wave of criticism about how much it pays staff and the imbalance between men and women. | Tony Hall, the corporation’s director general, said its on-air talent “help make the BBC what it is” as the broadcaster prepares for a wave of criticism about how much it pays staff and the imbalance between men and women. |
| The BBC will publish the names and salaries of its top earners on Wednesday morning as part of its annual report. | The BBC will publish the names and salaries of its top earners on Wednesday morning as part of its annual report. |
| In advance of the disclosure and any possible backlash, Hall told staff in an internal briefing that the overall amount the corporation pays its on-air talent fell from £198m a year to £194m over the last 12 months. | In advance of the disclosure and any possible backlash, Hall told staff in an internal briefing that the overall amount the corporation pays its on-air talent fell from £198m a year to £194m over the last 12 months. |
| However, the BBC admitted the fact that just a third of the 96 on-air staff earning more than £150,000 were female showed the corporation needed to “go further and faster on issues of gender and diversity”. | However, the BBC admitted the fact that just a third of the 96 on-air staff earning more than £150,000 were female showed the corporation needed to “go further and faster on issues of gender and diversity”. |
| Hall added: “Is that where we want to be? No. Are we pushing further and faster than any other major broadcaster? Most certainly. | Hall added: “Is that where we want to be? No. Are we pushing further and faster than any other major broadcaster? Most certainly. |
| “We’ve already set a clear and strong target for what we want to achieve by 2020 – we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided by men and women. This is already having an impact – of the talent on the list that we have hired or promoted in the last four years, 60% are women.” | “We’ve already set a clear and strong target for what we want to achieve by 2020 – we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided by men and women. This is already having an impact – of the talent on the list that we have hired or promoted in the last four years, 60% are women.” |
| The list of top earners, which has been demanded by the government, is expected to include presenters Gary Lineker, Graham Norton and Fiona Bruce. | The list of top earners, which has been demanded by the government, is expected to include presenters Gary Lineker, Graham Norton and Fiona Bruce. |
| The BBC will allow its stars to engage with critics and defend themselves on social media after their pay is revealed. | The BBC will allow its stars to engage with critics and defend themselves on social media after their pay is revealed. |
| The corporation is preparing for them to receive online abuse. It has told all employees on the list that their salary is to be revealed and has offered support and advice on dealing with the fallout. It is understood BBC bosses have not issued any specific guidelines on social media engagement and will allow individuals to decide the extent of their public reaction to the disclosure. | The corporation is preparing for them to receive online abuse. It has told all employees on the list that their salary is to be revealed and has offered support and advice on dealing with the fallout. It is understood BBC bosses have not issued any specific guidelines on social media engagement and will allow individuals to decide the extent of their public reaction to the disclosure. |
| Stars such as Lineker, who has more than 5 million Twitter followers, are frequent users of social media and often engage with criticism and abuse. | Stars such as Lineker, who has more than 5 million Twitter followers, are frequent users of social media and often engage with criticism and abuse. |
| Hall launched a robust defence of the BBC’s stars and how much they are paid in his staff briefing. | Hall launched a robust defence of the BBC’s stars and how much they are paid in his staff briefing. |
| “We need to employ the very best. They help make the BBC what it is. That’s the business we’re in,” he said. “And of course, we’re in a market that is now even more competitive than ever. A decade ago it might have been just ITV or Sky or commercial radio. But now it’s Netflix, Amazon or Apple. | “We need to employ the very best. They help make the BBC what it is. That’s the business we’re in,” he said. “And of course, we’re in a market that is now even more competitive than ever. A decade ago it might have been just ITV or Sky or commercial radio. But now it’s Netflix, Amazon or Apple. |
| “But of course we all appreciate that we are dealing with the public’s money. We’re talking about what, to lots of people, are large sums. This is not something we can take lightly. That’s why we always try to pay people at a discount to the market. It’s why the bill for top talent is down by 10% year on year – down by a quarter over the last five years. And the amount we pay the very highest earners has dropped by 40% over the same period. | “But of course we all appreciate that we are dealing with the public’s money. We’re talking about what, to lots of people, are large sums. This is not something we can take lightly. That’s why we always try to pay people at a discount to the market. It’s why the bill for top talent is down by 10% year on year – down by a quarter over the last five years. And the amount we pay the very highest earners has dropped by 40% over the same period. |
| “We’re not afraid to walk away if money becomes an issue. That’s one of the reasons we’re the biggest investor in new British talent there is.” | “We’re not afraid to walk away if money becomes an issue. That’s one of the reasons we’re the biggest investor in new British talent there is.” |
| The BBC is understood to have decided not to keep its leading TV and radio newsreaders off air on Wednesday, some of whom could be forced to talk about their own pay while broadcasting live. The presenter Andrew Marr said in a recent interview that the prospect of BBC stars having their salary made public was “uncomfortable for all of us”. | The BBC is understood to have decided not to keep its leading TV and radio newsreaders off air on Wednesday, some of whom could be forced to talk about their own pay while broadcasting live. The presenter Andrew Marr said in a recent interview that the prospect of BBC stars having their salary made public was “uncomfortable for all of us”. |
| The annual report will also reveal that the amount the BBC spends on senior managers has dropped from £78.5m in 2009 to £42.2m today. The corporation will say it has cut the number of senior managers to 306, from 640 in 2009 and 356 last year. | The annual report will also reveal that the amount the BBC spends on senior managers has dropped from £78.5m in 2009 to £42.2m today. The corporation will say it has cut the number of senior managers to 306, from 640 in 2009 and 356 last year. |
| The broadcaster must make the disclosure under the terms of its 11-year royal charter negotiated with David Cameron and Theresa May’s Conservative governments. Cameron initially told the BBC it should disclose the pay of on-air talent earning more than £450,000 but Theresa May cut this to £150,000 after becoming prime minister last year. | The broadcaster must make the disclosure under the terms of its 11-year royal charter negotiated with David Cameron and Theresa May’s Conservative governments. Cameron initially told the BBC it should disclose the pay of on-air talent earning more than £450,000 but Theresa May cut this to £150,000 after becoming prime minister last year. |
| The BBC has consistently objected to the disclosure, describing it as a “poachers’ charter” that will drive up salaries in the media industry and help the corporation’s rivals poach its staff. | The BBC has consistently objected to the disclosure, describing it as a “poachers’ charter” that will drive up salaries in the media industry and help the corporation’s rivals poach its staff. |
| Hall said on Tuesday: “Let me stress, in all the negotiations with the government about our royal charter we said it would be wrong to put the names of our talent against what they’re paid. | Hall said on Tuesday: “Let me stress, in all the negotiations with the government about our royal charter we said it would be wrong to put the names of our talent against what they’re paid. |
| “We do believe in transparency. In fact, we, uniquely in the media, have published what we’ve been paying to talent in bands for the last seven years – but without naming them. We said giving names could be inflationary – setting benchmarks and raising expectations – driving up wages at a time we’re bringing costs down. In effect, it would set up a poachers’ charter. But in the end the government insisted.” | “We do believe in transparency. In fact, we, uniquely in the media, have published what we’ve been paying to talent in bands for the last seven years – but without naming them. We said giving names could be inflationary – setting benchmarks and raising expectations – driving up wages at a time we’re bringing costs down. In effect, it would set up a poachers’ charter. But in the end the government insisted.” |
| The BBC boss insisted taxpayers wanted the broadcaster to have the best presenters and actors, and that the licence fee offered “extraordinary value”. | The BBC boss insisted taxpayers wanted the broadcaster to have the best presenters and actors, and that the licence fee offered “extraordinary value”. |
| Hall said: “Our latest research shows that four in every five of us think we [the BBC] should get the highest quality presenters, actors, and reporters – even if it means paying the market rate. | Hall said: “Our latest research shows that four in every five of us think we [the BBC] should get the highest quality presenters, actors, and reporters – even if it means paying the market rate. |
| “The reality is that the BBC today costs them less in real terms than it did 20 years ago. But now we offer four times as many television channels, twice as many national radio stations, iPlayer – and everything we do online. All for less than three pounds a week – that’s about 40p a day.” | “The reality is that the BBC today costs them less in real terms than it did 20 years ago. But now we offer four times as many television channels, twice as many national radio stations, iPlayer – and everything we do online. All for less than three pounds a week – that’s about 40p a day.” |
| BBC | BBC |
| Tony Hall | Tony Hall |
| BBC expenses | BBC expenses |
| BBC licence fee | BBC licence fee |
| Gary Lineker | Gary Lineker |
| Graham Norton | Graham Norton |
| news | news |
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