BBC exec: It’s not in licence fee payer interest to know how much stars are paid
A BBC executive has argued that it would not be in the interest of licence fee payers to know how much the corporation’s biggest stars are paid.
Charlotte Moore, controller of BBC One, said this would inevitably drive fees up because all talent would want to be paid the top amount.
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Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, she said: “I genuinely think it’s not in the interest of licence fee payers that we do reveal talent [pay]. I think it will only drive talent fees up.”
Her comments come after a group of influential MPs said the corporation should be forced to disclose the fees of performers, presenters and producers paid more than the Prime Minister.
Currently the BBC does not publish these details, but does disclose executive pay information.
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The Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) white paper, setting out details of the BBC’s next royal charter, suggested talent earning £450,000 or more should have their salaries published.
But the DCMS select committee has suggested this threshold should be lowered to £143,000 – slightly below the £143,462 earned by Theresa May as Prime Minister.
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