Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> BBC TOP "SALARIES" http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1500460319 Message started by WG on Jul 19^th, 2017, 10:32am

Title: BBC TOP "SALARIES"
Post by WG on Jul 19^th, 2017, 10:32am

I always laugh at these figures. Wasn't there some wizzo plan a year or three back to reduce the spend on freelancers-the idea being to utilise STAFF far more. We could have a staff announcer DJ-ing the morning breakfast show on R2 and save £2 million, someone from sports news introducing Match of the Day and a keen LightEnt staff production assistant fronting Strictly etc etc ?
The result would be just as professional-and who cares if nobody watches-the licence fee will be drastically reduced!
What irritates though is that nobody in the press media have said that these huge sums are variable FREELANCE costs for freelancers hired. They are NOT staff costs-where pay rises are more than often heavily restricted to below the inflation rate.

Title: Re: BBC TOP "SALARIES"
Post by Burstner55 on Jul 19^th, 2017, 2:08pm

They don't make me laugh, rather they make me weep for a nation which puts celebrity before depth/intellect and ability. Most of the names on the list are of people I steer away from on TV and Radio, involved in programmes I never watch or listen to, and who almost without exception fall into the classification "Rentagob". And I can't help thinking that they are very often kept afloat by agents who take their own percentage, thus further depleting the funds available for more meaningful programmes.

Title: Re: BBC TOP "SALARIES"
Post by Administrator on Jul 19^th, 2017, 5:42pm

Bloomberg's viewpoint.

Here, they compare the BBC 'personalities' with some American and European counterparts.

"UK taxpayers might count themselves lucky".

"Graham Norton hauls in less than one-tenth the pay of US talk-show host Jimmy Fallon". (15$Million in 2016 from NBC).

"For the week of June 19-23, Fallon averaged 2.66 million viewers" Source "Variety", here.

"In the UK, Ant and Dec- hosts of 'Britain's got talent- ..... earn £5 Million each" according to "The Guardian"".

NBC News anchor Lester Holt earned about $4Million per year as of 2015.

"Across Europe, the comparisons are similar.

In France, Vivendi SA-owned Canal+ retains TV presenter and comedian Cyril Hanouna on a 50 million euros ($58 million) per year deal, well above the 350,000 to 400,000 pounds earned by newsreader and “Antiques Roadshow” BBC star Fiona Bruce.

Italy’s state broadcaster RAI reportedly pays host Fabio Fazio about 12 million euros per year, beating the 200,000 to 250,000 pounds earned by Dan Walker, who presents the BBC’s morning news program."

Title: Re: BBC TOP "SALARIES"
Post by Burstner55 on Jul 19^th, 2017, 5:52pm

And someone else who is looking at the role of agents, here: https://tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/secret-agents.html

Title: Re: BBC TOP "SALARIES"
Post by Carolyn on Jul 20^th, 2017, 1:40pm

There is a bigger problem here - and that is that the BBC keep saying that market forces dictate star salaries. However, given that the BBC has guaranteed income from the license fee, its role should be to innovate and discover new talent and ideas, and not chase commercial ratings A place to try out new things. Back in the day would programmes like Fawlty Towers or The Office have got to air - I doubt it? King of the hill now are comedian panel shows, food and antique type programmes and self produced dramas that have mass resale value worldwide. How many articles have been written particularly by writers, who can't get pasty first base with anything different.