Saturday 7 June 2008

BBC has a "Firm Grip" on Star's Salaries, Says Chairman

Chris Moyles and Jonathan RossThe BBC Trust has said the corporation has a firm grip" on the amount it pays its biggest names.


The trust, the corporation's governing body, commissioned a review after salary details were leaked last year, including a three-year deal for Jonathan Ross reportedly worth �18m, Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas' deals of �6 million; and Graham Norton �5 million over a similar period.


Documents leaked in 2006 claimed Jeremy Paxman was paid �940,000 a year, Radio 2's Sir Terry Wogan received �800,000 a year and Radio 1 breakfast host Chris Moyles pocketed an annual �630,000.


Speaking ahead of the trust's publication, the trust's chairman Sir Michael Lyons said the situation was "not as bad as some people thought it might be", but warned that more could be done in negotiating contracts and salaries.


Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Sir Michael refused to discuss individual cases, and said the trust's report would not disclose full details of star's pay deals.


"It would put the BBC in a very difficult position in relation to retaining staff who could work elsewhere," he explained.


Sir Michael also blasted suggestions that the corporation had exceeded the going market rate for its most famous faces.


He said, "The BBC doesn't pay more than others and indeed there has been a firmer grip on talent costs in recent years," he said. "In some cases we pay less than others," adding, "This is not a green light for the BBC to pay whatever it wants." He added that the BBC should do more to develop new talent.


Some license fee-payers, politicians and rival broadcasters have raised concerns the BBC pays its stars too much.


Ross' multi million deal with the publicly funded broadcaster was said to have influenced hefty contracts struck by ITV to secure the services of Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec.


But BBC director general Mark Thompson defended the top pay deals in front of a Commons select committee last year, saying that a BBC which did not secure big stars would not please the public.




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