BBC stars are 'not overpaid', new report finds
Monday, 02 Jun 2008 12:59
BBC Trust report says big names are not paid excessive amount
A report from the BBC's governing body has said the corporation's big names are not paid an excessive amount.
In light of the threat of job cuts across the BBC, the salaries of stars such as Jonathan Ross and Chris Moyles have been criticised as hypocritical.
Ross is rumoured to have agreed a three-year deal worth £18 million while breakfast DJ Moyles is reportedly paid £630,000 a year.
However, a pay review commissioned by the BBC Trust and carried out by economic analysts Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates, said there was "no evidence that the BBC is paying more than the market price" for its biggest names and may be paying far less in many cases.
It said the corporation should not be constrained in its efforts to attract top talent and claimed: "A BBC without big name talent, top sports or other rights could exist, but it would be a very different BBC to the one the audience knows and values for the programmes they love."
A BBC response to the report said the corporation was "encouraged" at its findings which it says recognised the priority placed on "value for money".
"Indeed sometimes, as the report finds, we pay under market value because we can use individual talent across a wide range of output, offering them more work and better creative opportunities," it added.
"The report is clear that more could be done to develop new talent and we will strive to build on the work we have already done in this area.
"We will continue to engage with the BBC Trust to assure licence fee payers that we are spending the licence fee wisely."
Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, had claimed the issue of BBC salaries was "not as bad as some people thought it might be".
"The BBC doesn't pay more than others and indeed there has been a firmer grip on talent costs in recent years," he said on BBC1's Breakfast.
"In some cases we pay less than others."
However, he stressed: "This is not a green light for the BBC to pay whatever it wants."