WOSS A WASTE
For £14.3m we could employ 677 nurses, 695 teachers or 596 coppers.. but we get 50 money-grabbing BBC fat cats
THE BBC was last night engulfed in a new scandal- over a staggering £14.3 MILLION paid in salaries to management fatcats.
In the wake of the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross storm the News of the World uncovered secret figures revealing 50 Beeb executives earn MORE than the Prime Minister's £189,994.
We forced the unwilling BBC to reveal details under the Freedom of Information Act. They show beleagured Director General Mark Thompson, right, on a whopping £816,000.
Read: News of the World readers vent fury at Beeb
A former director general last night said: "This will give the Beeb a big problem."
Astonishingly all 50 execs earn more than the Prime Minister - including 26 money-grabbing executives on over £250,000 a year.
And the cash comes straight from Britain's hardworking licence payers.
Our shock revelations come after we demanded the BBC disclosed its top-secret Top 50 salaries under the Freedom of Information Act. They break amid public disgust for the airing of sickening phone messages from Radio 2 stars Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross-himself on £6 MILLION a year-to veteran actor Andrew Sachs.
And last night the corporation was slammed again by some of the biggest names in broadcasting world for paying exorbitant salaries-far higher than those paid by their commercial rivals.
Crazy
X Factor producer and TV mogul Simon Cowell said: "These salaries are crazy."
BBC legend Esther Rantzen fumed: "The pay levels are way out of proportion. What you have to remember is all these people also receive the most extraordinary perks-sporting events, theatrical events, parties. And God knows what their pensions are."
Viewers and listeners will be outraged to discover what £14.3 million of their money could do in the real world. It's enough to employ an extra 677 NHS nurses, 695 teachers, 540 fireman or 596 police officers.
The phone message scandal cost Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas her job, forced Brand to quit and earned Ross a three-month suspension without pay.
And it's just the latest disgrace in a year of shame when the once- venerated BBC was caught FAKING a programme trailer about the Queen, and RIGGING TV phone-ins on shows including Blue Peter and Children in Need.
Now senior industry figures say the results of our investigation will pile yet more pressure on the organisation to change. Former Crimewatch host Nick Ross said: "There are just too many people in middle management."
A former BBC director general admitted: "This is going to be a big problem for them. And these people have very good pensions and more secure jobs than other media."
Earlier this year Director General MARK THOMPSON laughed off suggestions that bosses were highly paid. But our exclusive figures from previously confidential records tell a different story.
Thompson's own basic pay last year was £647,000 with benefits pushing it up to a whopping £816,000. But before taking charge at the BBC in 2004 he was boss of Channel 4 and attacked the corporation for wallowing in a "Jacuzzi of cash".
Nevertheless he dived in, picking up more than predecessor Greg Dyke.
One down on the paylist is Director, BBC Vision, JANA BENNETT-on £536,000 including bonuses despite being responsible for shows engulfed by phone-in scandals and the faked Queen trailer. A current BBC presenter, who could not be named for fear of being sacked, said: "Most people in your list would struggle in the commercial sector. If you do something wrong in the commercial sector you get the sack. That hardly ever happens at the BBC."
Bosses of top commercial radio stations are lucky to earn £150,000 but at the BBC they pull up to £280,000. It's the same story with TV channel controllers.
Outraged Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of Parliament's Media Select Committee, said: "It's almost impossible to imagine any commercial broadcaster being capable of offering those kind of salaries."
Ironically, the highest-earning radio controller, understood to be BBC2 boss LESLEY DOUGLAS who quit on Thursday over the Russell Brand disgrace, was on the top whack-£280,000.
Our high-flying list includes 11 controllers from the BBC Vision division. The highest paid- understood to be JAY HUNT, Controller of BBC1-has a basic of £310,000 plus bonus and pension.
All controllers listed-thought to include BBC2 boss ROLY KEATING and BBC3's DANNY COHEN-earn more than £190,000, with most on £220,000.
Sadly we cannot be more specific because the BBC's pay bands go up £30,000 at a time and the corporation REFUSED more details, so we have used the higher figure.
Crass
Cohen's fat pay is despite his controversial channel being widely panned for crass shows such as F*** Off I'm a Hairy Woman and My Man Boobs and Me.
Controller of Radio 3 ROGER WRIGHT was also believed to have made £220,000 last year-although his station hit its lowest ever audience figures, under two million listeners in an entire week.
Nine directors also made the list, all on at least £220,000 with the highest paid believed to be Creative Director and presenter of BBC1's Imagine, ALAN YENTOB, pulling in a basic £340,000 a year.
Others are believed to include Director of News HELEN BOADEN, Director of Nations & Regions PAT LOUGHREY, Director of Sport, ROGER MOSEY and Director of Global News RICHARD SAMBROOK.
Incredibly, even those with no responsibility for output earn massive sums. Low profile PETER WHITE, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, gets £220,000 a year heading a scheme to advertise the end of analogue TV and arrival of digital. Even two spin doctors are on £250,000 and £190,000.
The Chief Executive of BBC Worldwide JOHN SMITH is listed with a huge salary of £486,000 but that is paid for out of commercial profits. His pension is worth a mighty £3,167,000.
Last night a BBC spokeswoman insisted: "We have to attract the best creative talent. The remuneration strategy is to position salaries at competitive levels, but not to lead the market."
Mr quiet pulls £513k
LITTLE-KNOWN Deputy Director General MARK BYFORD was last night in the spotlight over his massive £513,000 pay packet.
For the 50-year-old executive is still under fire for a lack of quick action following the Russell Brand phone scandal. With his boss Mark Thompson in Sicily, many expected Mr Byford to step in as the crisis grew.
But Byford remained nowhere to be seen, and the Beeb later confirmed that during the top man's absence Chief Operating Officer CAROLINE THOMSON (£440,000 a year) was in charge.
It's led many to question what No 2 Byford is paid for if he's not deputising for his boss. And it's not the first silence from him over a breaking controversy. Just three weeks after being appointed in 2004 his boss Greg Dyke resigned following the controversial Hutton Report. Colleagues were shocked he failed to speak out in defence of Dyke and behind-the- scenes accusations flew that he was keeping quiet in a bid to secure the top job.
Our list also highlights the pay of former Director of Audio & Music, JENNY ABRAMSKY who left the BBC earlier this year with a pension pot of £4 million after seeing her salary rise 27 per cent to hit £419,000.
The pension fund alone will see her on a guaranteed retirement payout of £190,000 a year.
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This article has 188 comments
im glad to see this but this is only the tip of the iceberg television is answerable to know one at present day but it is bending and breaking every law and rule that was laid down for it by the bbc so it will need to be more scrutinised by a public body so we the public can control what comes into our homes.and make sure we are not getting ripped off any more.
By r. irvine. Posted August 7 2009 at 2:44 AM.
i stopped paying mine last month had enough once i joined the facebook group 10million against tv licence and read some of the posts i found its ok to own a tv as long as your not using it to watch live broadcasts.yeah i only watch dvds and have no ariel conected.they have no power to enter your home and can only apply for a court summons if they have proof you are watching tv.and also now they are under investigation by scotland yard for treason as they have broken the royal charter by getting money from the eu.you can find out about the letter you need to send them on the tpuc website take a look and stop paying them.
By john.c. Posted May 5 2009 at 11:03 PM.
I am deaf. I never paying tv licence for a long time because problem with subtitles like missing words and no available. Its not fair for me. I wrote a letter to the governtment but they don't care. Please will you support me and don't pay tv licence.
By drew fraser. Posted November 10 2008 at 2:16 AM.
THEY SHOULD SACK JONATHON ROSS AND THE FAT CONTROLERS AND THEN WE WOULDNT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALL THE REPEATS MURDER SHE WROTE AND DIAGNOSIS MURDER HAVE BEEN ON THAT MANY TIMES WE KNOW THEM OFF BY HEART THEY DONT PUT ANY DECENT DRAMAS ON ANYMORE EVEN THE FILMS THEY SHOW HAVE BEEN ON LOADS OF TIMES THEY START SHOWING THINGS LIKE ALL SAINTS AND NEVER SHOW THE END IF YOU LOOK IN THE TV TIMES ON THE BBC NEARLY EVERY SHOW IS A REPEAT DISGUSTING
By midge. Posted November 8 2008 at 8:48 PM.
How can they justify earning that kind of money? Seriously?!
By kayleigh. Posted November 7 2008 at 3:08 AM.
Time the people had a vote on this. At the next election add to it "should the License fee be scrapped" yes or no.
Let the people who have to pay this judge. Not the elected officials who never listen to us. Or do the actually profit in some way from the beeb?
By DL. Posted November 6 2008 at 9:31 AM.
The News of the world is way out of line here, in the article they listed how many nurses or fireman etc. that we could have got for that amount of money and said "but what DO we get? 50 money-grabbing BBC fat cats!" which is stupid since all of those jobs are paid for by the government as where the BBC is funded by your licensing fee as you already know. Since the BBC is a business they can pay their employees whatever they want and if your not happy about it don't pay for that service.
By Liam. Posted November 5 2008 at 5:54 PM.
I'm not paying them any more
By Paul B. Posted November 5 2008 at 1:33 AM.
I think your article on Sunday was great. Why should we have to use the freedom of information act to gain access to the BBC accounts, which accounts are OUR money! It is a disgrace that the BBC is allowed to continue like this at all! I have a group on Facebook, one of many groups on Facebook who all want to see the end of the TV Tax!! I got a reply today from the PM's Office about a petition I sign, basically saying it is the best way to fund the BBC. I think not! ITV, Channel 4 and all the other channel produce excellent programme with out us paying for them! Abolish it now! I call for the News of the World to start a campaign to abolish the TV Licence!!! Get enough of the population on our side and the Government would have to do as we say, or are we not a Democracy!!!
By Si Cooper. Posted November 4 2008 at 4:36 PM.
@Mark Holland: It's simply a war between the social classes. It was mean't to happen someday! The day is today. I come from Asia and one reason I work hard here in the UK is to avoid the harsh reality of my country. When it comes to reformation we need to start somewhere. BBC's ugly side need a good wash. I hope it will get what it deserves.
By Kathir Sid Vel. Posted November 4 2008 at 12:05 PM.
The bbc are out of touch. We should all rebel and not have a tv license to pay these outrageous salaries.
I mean poor pensioners who are going to struggle to survive this winter have to pay the license so these lot take advantage - sick. My mother got rid of her tv, then they started to harass her saying she was lying and could pay a fine etc. and that they are coming round, soon. Never gave a date, she is still on edge wondering when they will arrive. It's terrible, the world has gone mad. The bbc should no longer exist.
By nic. Posted November 4 2008 at 11:27 AM.
It is a shame that these fifty are paid such exorbitant rates at the taxpayers' expense.
By Zhang Foo Tso. Posted November 4 2008 at 11:10 AM.
Make the BBC a private company and let the market rule.
We will save on the licence fee and they will have to join the real World and stand on there own feet.
I really don't think they will last to long.
This is really Civil Service Broadcasting.
By Terry. Posted November 4 2008 at 9:51 AM.
It all boils down to the fact that the tv license is an obvious extortation and has to be stopped.
By charles. Posted November 3 2008 at 11:19 PM.
i dont usually take part in phone polls or leave comments when i'm reading something or watching something on tv, but when i read this story it made my blood boil..... i struggle every year to pay for tv licence let alone everything else..... and being a single parent of two it's very hard... it's been two years now since i graduated and still trying to get on my career path(media) and now i know why... when you've these fat cats licking all the cream....it's not fair !!!!!the rich gets richer and the poorer has to suffer.... gordon please take your finger out and do something
By angel. Posted November 3 2008 at 6:30 PM.
Lets keep a sense of perspective...compared to footballers these salaries are relatively modest and incur considerably more responsibility than kicking a ball around.
By Roger. Posted November 3 2008 at 3:52 PM.
i will cancel my license fee right away until these thieves are jailed for stealing obcene amounts of moneyfrom the people....
By peter watson. Posted November 3 2008 at 3:02 PM.
Sack Ross because of his wages. he's making us all a laughing stock, saying how much he is ripping us all of for, £6m my arse. The notw should help us get rid of the TV licence and sack the Fat Controller. The Govenment and the BBC can't fully understand what a state this country is in.
SD
By Stephen Dennis. Posted November 3 2008 at 2:42 PM.
I pay the licence fee and I am proud of the BBC. Most of what it does - whether comedy, news or documentaries - it does in an intellegent way. In my view it is one of our jewels. My viewing experience would be awful without the BBC output.
It is easy to pull out isolated programmes and criticize them. If we pulled out everything that each of us didn't like, the only sort of output left would be "hidden camera" sub-ITV programming that offends no one and challenges or entertains in the feeblest way.
When I look at the corruption in continents like Africa and some countries in Asia, government taxes in the UK are used much better. Of course waste can be curbed, but if people here think we have a bad government and wasteful taxes, they have no idea of what life is like in countries with real poverty where there is no national health service at all.
By Mark Holland. Posted November 3 2008 at 1:36 PM.
Dear Gordon Brown,
please abolish this tv license tax, make the BBC stand on its own feet and produce programs that it is capable of.
Make this dinosaur into a money producing venture that pays it's own way and puts some money back into the government coffers. Your finance person says you need funds, well the BBC seems to be flushing $100's down the toilet for you.
Make the board answer to parliament if they screw up, which probably means that you need meet with them once a week as that is how often they seem to do that. Make all the directors justify what they are being paid and reevaluate their salaries, give them fixed term contracts in which to perform and if they fail dump them. It's no good keeping someone that is not doing a decent job.
Regards
By Karen . Posted November 3 2008 at 12:18 PM.
It is the first time I have purchased the NOTW and after reading the coverage of this scandal i will definately be buying your paper again as will most of my family and friends, well done for bringing this to the publics attention. As far as watching the BBC we have not done so for a long time now as it is utter rubbish. I am appalled at the salaries these people are on. It really is a scandal
By b chapman. Posted November 3 2008 at 11:17 AM.
TAX them anyone being paid by the tax payer who earns more than the prime ministers sallary should have there very own 95% tax band its only right that the should help the rest of us tax payers fund these sallarys. it's simple and quick to impliment.
By simon. Posted November 3 2008 at 10:41 AM.
It's disgusting that a state run television service pays such out of proportion salaries when other state employees (Nurses, teachers etc) have to survive on an absolute pitance. Scrap the Licence fee and make the BBC compete in a free market, then lets see who is worth £816k and who actually does enough to earn £816k
By Jon Newman. Posted November 3 2008 at 7:35 AM.
I am leaving the employee of the NHS next year after 20 years of working long and anti-social hours in a mental health unit. This entitles me to £4,000 per annum in pension (having paid in over this time). I considered myself lucky against some who have to cope with the state pension. These guys just make a mockery of the whole system. I am sick and tired of this obscenity.
By Jane. Posted November 3 2008 at 7:14 AM.
And you wander why people are so deppressed?
5000-850.000
By furious. Posted November 3 2008 at 1:58 AM.
if we pay the licence fee for their wages lets sack the lot of them and abolish the licence fee let the fat cats at the bbc go terrestial with the money ley they have already had of us and work for it
By mo. Posted November 3 2008 at 2:03 AM.
You've missed the biggest swindle of the lot - the digital switchover, i.e. Terestial digital. Millions have been spent on this technology already, all wasted because it's dead before it's even been launched. Terrestial digital will NEVER support HD, there's not enough bandwidth. That's why they've launched FreeSAT. So why is money still being spent on this stupidity (especially now we know the ludicrous salary being paid to the honcho in charge!). Terrestial digital should be scrapped. People are being told to buy new TVs or set top boxes with the digital label on only to find they'll need a dish and another set-top box to get FreeSAT and HD. Someone somewhere is afraid to own up to the truth. Go and investigate this scandal!
By Maude Heath. Posted November 3 2008 at 1:19 AM.
I have enrolled to university this year and have to watch TV through my laptop. I then received a letter from the TV licensing telling me to pay them £139.50 to watch some TV (not even through an actual TV). In the end I paid up because I didn't want to get fined. This money came out of my student loan which pays for my studies, rent for my student halls and food so I don't starve to death and I find out this is where my loan goes. Abolish the TV licence. Maybe we could all survive through the recession that our inconsiderate government have put us through.
By helen. Posted November 3 2008 at 12:26 AM.
keep up the good work! we've always known about the ex's salaries.so, how about digging a bit deeper and let us know the wonderful salaries the djs, the presenters like jeremy vine etc are getting! its incredible! a couple of decades ago the bbc were the butt of jokes when it came to paying artistes,but the same artistes were only proud to work for them regardless of money. now we know the real reason they've always wanted to hike up the licence fee!no wonder none of them don't want to be forcibly ejected oop north to salford away from their cosy expensive properties, their relaxed lunches and THE BLOODY BIG CLIQUE that is the BBC.
By barry. Posted November 3 2008 at 12:41 AM.
ABOLISH THE LICENCE FEE - GIVE THE VIEWER REAL CHOICE - THEN SEE WHAT THEY ARE REALLY WORTH!
By Furious. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:29 PM.
The amounts these people are paid would pay my wages for in excess of 20 years. Who lives in the real world?
Scrap the tv licence fee, I think they have a cheek, to ask us to fund their extravagence.
By TC. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:30 PM.
Dear Editor, In this day and age of digital television where you can tune into hundreds of channels on Sky,I doubt if three in ten people watch BBC at all,so why do we have to pay TV licence so these fat cats can enjoy the life of Riley.It's about time the people had a vote to decide, pay or not pay.Yours Sincerely Mr M Morgan.
By Mr M Morgan. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:37 PM.
greedy has hell get rid of the bbc we dont need it why should we the people pay for fat cats wages while ordinary people are trying to make ends meat and also get rid of john ross he should be sacked i am not paying my tv lic ever again
By maria blackbourn. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:40 PM.
I am sorry if I missed it in NotW (I didnt get out fro a paper today) but surely this DETAILED story should be front page news on every newspaper in the land and not hiding away here??
All it seems to have done is to infuriate your readers and goaded them into ineffectual verbals. So why do we continue to pay our licence fee? It is coz we fear that 'knock on the door' they readily threaten us with. They cant fine everyone if we all decided not to pay.There needs to be heavier lobbying of MP's to get this fee stopped. Cant the NotW start something up?
By marty. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:54 PM.
While we are on about BBCfatcats and rip of TV licenses shouldnt we be allowed to no were every penny goes to from children in need because every year people in this country pay millions of pounds surely this should be an open book for all to see as well ?
By George Storer. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:57 PM.
Perhaps the N of the W has the power to force these issues, but if it does not, then ar least we can be assured that they really tried, you know something, all of this is to me familiar, you see history repeats...
By wpo. Posted November 3 2008 at 12:18 AM.
Remember the Poll Tax - can't pay won't pay!! Can the same be done with TV licence? Abolish by public demand! We need a public campaign - come on News of the World - you can achieve this.
By Chris. Posted November 2 2008 at 10:53 PM.
The BBC has lost all it"s integrity, it needs to move fast
and get rid of all these fatcats because the people have had enough of been ripped of
By marie lambm. Posted November 2 2008 at 10:57 PM.
THE BBC HAS MOSTLY CRAP ON IT ANYWAY THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO CLOSE DOWN AND LET SOME OTHER COMPANY TAKE THERE PLACE. I KNEW THIS WAS GOING ON ,THE WAY THEY KEEP RAISING THE YEARLY FEES. JAIL THEM ALL FOR LIFE OH I'M SORRY FOR THAT COMMENT BECAUSE COME TO THE U.K. CRIME PAYS.
By Les Jones. Posted November 2 2008 at 10:31 PM.
So the boss of the BBC is paid less than half the salary of ITV boss Michael Grade (who was paid nearly £2m in 2007). Sounds like he's due a pay rise to me. As for all those people who moan about nothing being on the BBC - I guess they must have been too busy watching Gladiators on Sky One to catch Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, Spooks, Eastenders, Dr Who, Gavin and Stacey, Blue Planet, Cranford, Criminal Justice, The Electric Proms, Newsnight, Have I Got News For You... need I go on?
By Dominic. Posted November 2 2008 at 10:03 PM.
I would like to know how much is collected via the licence fee, how it is carved up (who gets what) and who Audits the BBC
By Sonysherr. Posted November 2 2008 at 9:19 PM.
If the government let company's get away with it they will take the mick. If we are able to get fined for not having a licence, who is responsible for letting the BBC do this? is it law or government imposed, then shouldn't they be covered by one of these other agencies that look into the customer being ripped off.
By tp. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:38 PM.
The BBC for YEARS has been ripping us off with these TV license RUBBISH!
We should not have to pay for TV, they make enough money without RIPPING US OFF with TV licenses. We have to pay HUNDREDS for telvisions/sky/ntl etc .... they want you to pay a TV license even if th only thing you do is plug a PS3 into it and NEVER watch TV .... they say you cant have a computer without a TV license either ... because you can now get FREE TV through PC's perfectly legally and they dont like it!
I wouldnt mind paying a 3rd of a tv license IF we werent constantly subjected to cruddy movies and repeats, repeats, repeats, repeats and more repeats .... BBC used to be about TV, now theyre about MONEY ... nothing else!
The invention of FREEView should have eliminated TV Licenses
By PK. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:02 PM.
It just goes to show the higher up you are the richer you are and what you can get away with The mega rich CASH VAMPIRES are just getting money for doing very nearly nothing
( Lots of money for old rope.)
Its so annoying. Ive been off work for 5 months due to a back injury and Im struggling to pay bills now as work is stopping my sickpay.. These VAMPIES will never know what its like to struggle at all.
Im also thinking, is really worth us all writing our thoughts and disgusts on here.?? It will all be forgotten about within a month or so and we will all have to go about our business, Struggling and paying our extortionate rising bills!!!
I hope someone high up, grows a pair and does something about this. I DO NOT want to carry on paying for someone else to live the high life when Myself and my family are struggling!!!!!!!!
God. I wish I hadnt looked at this now.!!
By Brett Ashworth. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:45 PM.
I didnt read one complaint about this pair before these two slimeballs Ross and Brand got themselves in trouble. I dont see what all the fuss is about. If the British public can willingly watch a moron like Ross costing £6million a year wants wrong with the same British idiots paying his 50 Bosses £14.3? It only works out at £286,000 each. That has too be value for money
Stop moaning and keep paying your BBC TV licance. It would be against these 52 human rights to lower their pay stucture now.
By Ian T. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:43 PM.
Mark Thompson stated that Ross wasn't under his BBC contract when appearing on Brand's show. Does that mean he was paid £6 million a year plus appearance fees on other programmes? Just how many poor and honest people does it take to pay the TV tax and meet Ross's expectations?
By Ian Martin. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:28 PM.
The news of the world has always been a paper for the working class people of Great Britain. I implore you to keep up the pressure on the ugly bloated BBC and demand an end to the license fee. Put out a petition in your paper for people to sign with a freepost return address and i'll guarantee you get tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of signatures. I'll personally buy a copy of your paper for every member of my family that doesn't already do so.
By Working class. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:33 PM.
Why do we need so many people on such high saleries, when they employ very poor so called funny entertainers as brand and ross, who should have been sacked. The question i would like answered is what high paid pilllock allowed brand and ross on BBC2 radio as this is a channel that many older people find entertaining,. instead of radio 1 Maybe its time to loose some of these high paid leeches and lower the licence fee.
By pfd. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:43 PM.
If we all refused to pay our TV licence, the BBC would be in a big panic then. Lets not forget its us the public who have control because we pay their wages.Yet again another waste of public money. Alot of the BBC output is barely worth putting out!!!
By Mr. A. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:49 PM.
No government will dare to stand up to the BBC and abolish the license fee because with the money at the Beeb's disposal they could make things very difficult for them. As long as the government and the BBC are drinking from the same cup things will no doubt be business as usual with the only victims being the mugs who fork out for a tv license. I hope the NOTW continue to keep the pressure on the BBC untill this unfair and outdated tax is scrapped.
By Abolish The License Fee. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:28 PM.
To Lily-
Yes, you are right, footballers and celebrities are paid outrageous wages, the difference is, (with the exception of the BBC's 'celebrities') that it is not the taxpaying public who are funding these people!
By Whytie. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:10 PM.
I don't usually read papers because they talk a load of rubbish but I would consider buying the News Of the World and the Sun if they started a campaign to abolish the TV licence......bring it on!
By billybob. Posted November 2 2008 at 5:30 PM.
What a disgusting rip off! I want my license fee back as it is being misused. This story should be even bigger than the Ross / Brand fiasco.
We need a politician with real balls to sort this fraudulent behaviour out and fast.
By vincent. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:55 PM.
they're salaries are disgusting, people like me have just been laid off have the knowledge to do these jobs and are crying out for jobs for not even a quarter of what they earn but you still want to pay them stupid amounts of money for sitting on they're arse all day doin jack all, sack em all or drop they're wages what i say. give some of the real needed a proper job like this.
By James. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:40 PM.
This is absolutely disgusting i agree with the person that said abolish the TV licence and we would all be better off by £139.50p
By BILLYt. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:39 PM.
Thank you for informing me where our TV licence money is going. I am appalled and I think it's disgusting to use pensioners money like this and Ross should do the decent thing and give back the money to charity and resign.
By ruth Farrwen. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:26 PM.
Thank you notw for making the public aware of what the money they are harrased for is going to.This is shocking!!! Lets all call for the abolishin of the TV license. end of.
By crazy. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:51 PM.
Culture change is long overdue at the Beeb. It is a sterile lonely place but very lucrative for some folks high in the food chain. The only senior player worth his money is John Smith, CEO of the commercial division who is the only one who arguably should be paid even more given the profits his division generates worldwide for the corporation. The rest wouldn't last five minutes in the private sector. The middle management is so bloated that decision making is very difficult and that is why the Ross and Brand affair occurred in the first place. Too many cooks and nobody in touch with what was about to be broadcast. Incredible as it may seem with so many employees, nobody informed the controller prior to broadcast so she lost her job. The program was prerecorded after all. Arsene agrees with my frustration and has forgiven my attack on Mark Thomson yesterday whilst he played in goal for his local team.
By Van Persie. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:43 PM.
What an absolute joke, I am cancelling my T.V. license and they can take me to court, this is the last straw!!!!!!!!!!
By steve gough. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:43 PM.
DISGUSTING! does this government ever listen(only when they want votes) how in a so called civil society can we be forced to pay this shower and have no choice to opt out, should be privatised and made to defend itselfe
By kev. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:42 PM.
Get rid of the BBC and let us enjoy the free channels. I wouldn't miss the constant repeats and some of the rubbish they call news.
By EMaitch. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:31 PM.
I think this is just one more scandal for the bbc, and once again the government will do nothing about it. it make me sick i earn £32000 a year and struggle to keep up my mortgage and feed my family no one should earn that much lets all get to gether and stop them now enough is enough. i am in the throws of starting a web site to show everyone can bring down the greedy companies all we have to do is all go to one web site and all stop using one of these companies at a time even one day of no money will show we mean bussiness.
i hope you campain aswell to stop this messed up country.
m robinson ashamed to be british
By mark robinson. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:20 PM.
The BBC licence fee need to be scrapped,they need to get their funding like the other channels, they would then be competing against each other to make the best programs, we the viewers would then be the winners. The BBC tells us that they don,t want advertising but as far as i am concerned they already have it ,the trailers between the programs and they don,t get paid for them because they are advertising their own shows. Wake up!!! the people of this country are really fed up with the way the BBC is being run. Too many fat-cats.
By Carole. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:22 PM.
I sincerely hope and pray that the News Of The World and the rest of Fleet Street organises a nationwide campaign to strip this bloated over manned management of the BBC of their obscenely inflated salaries and pensions for giving us what are becoming more and more "Dumbed Down" programs.
A sustained campaign by the press may, eventually, shame the BBC into putting its house in order.
If, as they claim, these salaries are attracting "Top Talent and Management" - God Help us!
By Dr C Mazumdar. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:22 PM.
Abolish the TV Licence fee, this would give the hard pressed British public £130 in their pockets to spend on more worth causes than the BBC.
This would not only help the UK economy at its time of need but also force the BBC to be more circumspect about its expenditure.
By BillyB. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:20 PM.
Lets stop paying the licence for all these overpaid so called stars and fatcats their pensions make me sick my private pension is on course to pay me £995 per annum !!! not per month, or per week, thats right per ANNUM so lets hear the tories calling to scrap the BBC
Barry From Witham {a WORKER}
By barry lewis. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:03 PM.
Jonathon Ross should be sacked first then we should all write to Gordon Brown demanding that the BBC licence fee should be abolished. There will never be a better time for the public to do so in respect of the current financial climate. Standards in output at the BBC have been falling for some time now and with the news of the fat cat salaries being awarded Ross will be sorry that he ever opened his mouth in the first place. The British public should be concerned as they are paying for all of this whilst struggling financially themselves in the present climate. Lack of talent coupled with arrogance is a dangerous thing.
By m. connal. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:54 PM.
I have just one comment, privatize the BBC. It's disgusting that the population is forced to pay this tax every year, I'm sure those who do not wish to pay would get along very nicely with other media sources.
By Ronald Evans. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:53 PM.
I work for the BBC. Staff got a below inflation 2% pay rise this year. We're constantly being lectured by these useless over-paid fat cats at the top of the organisation that we need to cut costs and that we are facing redundancies over the next few years. Now we see where the money's really going.
Mark Thompson is nothing more than hatchet man. I'm glad you raised the question, what is Mark Byford for. Its a question we've been asking for years.
By B. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:48 PM.
Think its time for a clear out and a re-structure, time for all BBC employees to re-apply for their jobs. People who are on the gravy train must justify their ticket to ride, as I am sure a number of people are at the station waiting to get on who could do a better job and be more cost effective.
By Nigel George. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:47 PM.
This problem is easily solved. Scrap the licence fee. Make the Beeb compete in the commercial world with the other channels. This would not only save the taxpayers a huge amount of cash, it would also, I believe get Gordon another 4 years.
James
By James Gregg. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:49 PM.
So at long last the publice finally appear to be waking up to the fact that everything with any decency in our country, with the possible exception of the Military has been effectivly destroyed by New Labour, which has managed to reduce everything to the lowest common demoninator. The rot set into the BBC in 1952 after the conservatives won the election in October 1951 and Selwyn Lloyd,the then so called rising star of the party presented a white paper in order to allow companies to produce Independent Television. Mr William Haley, the then Director General of the BBC left the corporation to become editor of The Times where he wrote excellent leading articles warning the government that if Independent Television was allowed to be broadcast, the BBC in order to compete would be forced to lower its standards to the detriment of its listeners and viewers. Sadly the politicians of the day did not heed the warnings. I very much doubt that even Sir William Haley could ever have imagined that the standards he had maintained could have been allowed to sink to the bottom of the pit.
By Thomas Mathew. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:23 PM.
isnt it funny the ones in support of the bbc are the ones living abroad not paying a licence fee - how hypocritical
By debby. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:32 PM.
I think it's time to stand up to this mess.Let the whole country stop paying the license fee to fund overpaid celebs and commentators.Yet again I am an impoverished NHS worker doing many hours overtime to try and stop myself sinking!!I would like some of their money for the hours they "WORK".As someone has written they can't fine us all or send us all to gaol.TIME FOR A PETITION METHINKS LET'S STOP PAYING !
By maceymoo. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:39 PM.
What are they getting paid for? There's nothing realy worth watching,that justifys the cost, most of the time I find my self watching the other channels, I don't listen to any of the BBC radio station.
By Peter. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:38 PM.
Isnt it about time most of these usless people were
moved to a position of cleaning floors etc, after the
farce over Ross and Bland, they are a total waste of public money, like most in the BBC they are a
load of over paid wasters, this would never happenin a private company, they would be out on
there ears in no time,
By Peter Brannick. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:13 PM.
No wonder they turned a blind eye to the foul inanities of that vile, witless pair Ross and Brand and their ilk. They were too busy sharing the same trough. We saw what people power can do - over 30,000 of us soon made them get their fingers out. So let's march on, get the licence fee abolished, for a start. Let them know that we've had enough - and that we're damn well not going to take any more!
By Peter Maughan. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:12 PM.
Isnt it about time most of these usless people were
moved to a position of cleaning floors etc, after the
farce over Ross and Bland, they are a total waste of public money, like most in the BBC they are a
load of over paid wasters, this would never happenin a private company, they would be out on
there ears in no time,
By Peter Brannick. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:11 PM.
Isnt it about time most of these usless people were
moved to a position of cleaning floors etc, after the
farce over Ross and Bland, they are a total waste of public money, like most in the BBC they are a
load of over paid wasters, this would never happenin a private company, they would be out on
there ears in no time,
By Peter Brannick. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:11 PM.
No wonder they turned a blind eye to the foul inanities of that vile, witless pair Ross and Brand and their ilk. They were too busy sharing the same trough. We saw what people power can do - over 30,000 of us soon made them get their fingers out. So let's march on, get the licence fee abolished, for a start. Let them know that we've had enough - and that we're damn well not going to take any more!
By Peter Maughan. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:10 PM.
anyone who thinks the bbc is value for money, ok i/ll go along with that. why not make bbc pay to veiw, then those agree with it can watch it for £139 per year.Would you get these stupid wages, i think not. But no, its the same as anything else in this country (yes its rip of time again) fat cats want to be millionairs over night.
By Brian Pierce. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:54 PM.
The BBC keeps on repeating that the salaries they pay are market rates for top talent. NOBODY has asked this question: where will any or all of the execs or presenters go to get paid these ridiulous sums,if they did not work for the BBC? Comedy 2?
Isnt it about time, the BBC Trust was dismantled, the BBC gets a new charter that they cannot employ any presenter /excec for more than one year a time and and all salaries in excess of £75K per annum..must be approved by the new BBC Board.And because its our money, we need to know all the details, first. Other than that. Give me my licence money back.
By reg joseph. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:54 PM.
Sooner we get a change of goverment to sort this lot out the better.Why does it always take the press to reveal these things.Who in goverment is supposed to monitor how public funded orgs are run This is just a free for all.
By charles. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:48 PM.
The BBC is just a gravy train for the few at the top.
The comment from the Controller about paying huge salaries for creative talent is utter nonsense. On the whole the BBC schedules are pretty rubbish compared to what gets transmitted by many of the smaller private channels.
I think its just another failing on the part of the Government!
Lets be honest if a hospital needs equipment or another consultant it takes signatures galore and masses of red tape to acheive.
On the other hand it seems that the BBC can pay what to who they want without question? or can they? Will the minister responsible for the BBC finances and wasting my tax please respond?????
By Les Church. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:46 PM.
Why do people make such a big deal about the salaries of people who work in business if they earn more than £100,000 yet turn a blind eye to footballers, celebrities who often earn £20000 a week for doing very little? These people at the BBC probably work bloody hard for their salaries and put themselves in the firing line continually as had been proven this week when the moaning british public lead a witch hunt resulting in 2 people leaving their jobs. Get some perspective people. These salaries are not outrageous. Just to clarify, I do not work for the BBC and nor do i know anyone that does.
By lily. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:30 PM.
why do university students have to pay the TV licence fee, at my sons uni each room is classed as a different address, with 14 rooms on one floor with 14 floors they are raking it in while the poor students have to fork out £139.50, no reduction
By pauline. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:13 PM.
This country makes me sick, Ross should be sacked and in no way deserves such a gross salary nor does anyone else in television. Im a nurse and im struggling to cope with all the bills and being on my own. I cant see these idiots wiping human faeces or vomit up for £17.000...Dont get me wrong i love my job and i worked bloody hard to get there..Cancelling the lisence fee would be a start for the millions of hard working brits in the country..
By Sue, Swindon. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:58 PM.
This country makes me sick, Ross should be sacked and in no way deserves such a gross salary nor does anyone else in television. Im a nurse and im struggling to cope with all the bills and being on my own. I cant see these idiots wiping human faeces or vomit up for £17.000...Dont get me wrong i love my job and i worked bloody hard to get there..Cancelling the lisence fee would be a start for the millions of hard working brits in the country..
By Sue, Swindon. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:58 PM.
This is just ANOTHER example of "rip off G.B." and its no different to any other institution in this country, from the "top" to the bottom, and as usuall the people of this country will do nothing collectively to alter it, and untill such time, we will all be treated like the products in a store, we have a shelf life, and what the hell, they say, a few will die ect, as we've bled them dry, and will continue to do so, but who cares, "we live well" and they will allways breed again so we can take them for a ride too!!
BLOODY HELL PEOPLE WAKE UP AND COLLECTIVELY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!
By Mr.Lew Hoad. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:55 PM.
If it is a public service organisation then let them be paid as civil servants, no more.
If they want to be paid as if they were in private industry then scrap the licence fee and let them raise revenue as a business, including through advertising.
They cannot have it both ways
By wozza. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:55 PM.
i work at the BBC, if any of the BBC bosses are listening, can i have a pay rise?
By rambo. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:51 PM.
I think it is time for a full financial audit...
who gets paid what, what funding is spent on and what license payers get for their money??
This will allow us to see if the BBC is value for money
By beth. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:24 PM.
ITS NOT ONLY THE BBC WHO ARE OVERPAID, WHAT ABOUT FOOTBALLERS DISGRACEFUL SALARIES? DJW
By D J WARRENDER. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:20 PM.
It is now clear why Ross is paid so much more than any commercial station would pay him. It takes the focus off the BBC official's ridiculous salaries and even makes them look cheap compared to Ross.
By Bob Slaughter. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:18 PM.
"These ex-pats who say they would willingly pay for BBC programmes actually DON'T have to as they can watch it from wherever they are in the world for free on BBC IPlayer through a computer - which we in Britain fund through our licence fee."
I'd just like to correct you as the iPlayer is only available to UK based IP addresses.
There are ways around this but it isn't that easy and there's not much the Beeb can do about it.
By Lee. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:16 PM.
THE LICENCE FEE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED AND THE BBC SHOULD FUND ITS SELF ON ADVERTISING LIKE ALL THE OTHER STATIONS .THE MONEY PAID TO ROSS IS DISGUSTING WHILE MOST PEOPLE ARE HAVING A JOB TO MANAGE.NOW THIS LATEST NEWS ABOUT MORE HIGH WAGES. THEY ARE JUST LAUGHING AT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WHO PAY THERE WAGES.
By Stuart Withers. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:29 PM.
Typical about everything in this so called country of democracy. Why do we have to pay for a channel that given a choice most people would rather spond their hard earned money on something more important and watch the other free channels instead, but no we arent allowed to have a tv and could face prison unless we pay for the privilege of watching re-runs and overpaid talentless people who believe too much in their own hype. We pay for their wages why cant we determine how much they should be paid. We are a country of tyranny hiding behind the blanket of so called democracy
By debbie. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:26 PM.
sack them all we dont need bbc its all a con sack the labour party at the same time there all filling there own pockets at the expense of hard working people i think people in this country have had enough of freeloaders and fatcats keep running this story till something has changed like free tv licences for all dont sweep it under the carpet like every thing else is do somthing about it
By Kerry Powell. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:38 PM.
I live in the US and they think I'm lying when I tell them about the BBC licence fee. They cannot believe that my Mum pays 140 quid a year for a service she cannot receive. She lives in the Highlands and there is NO RECEPTION for the BBC where she is. She is an OAP and is too scared about going to jail if she doesn't pay her licence.
So she has SkyTV that costs her about 15 quid a month on top of the licence fee.
Please waken up and smell the coffee - what are the BBC there for?
By Sympathetic ex-pat. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:43 PM.
I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF ONE WHO WORKS REALLY HARD TO PAY MY BILLS AND LIVE , AND IT REALLY UPSETS ME WHEN ALL AROUND ME PRICES OF EVERY DAY ITEMS KEEP RISING AND ITS THINGS WE NEED EG FOOD ,WATER , GAS I THINK ITS ABOUT TIME US IN THE UK TOOK ACTION ON THOSE PEOPLE WHO PAY THERE SELFS SUCH HUGH AMOUNTS OF SALARY AND BUSINESS THAT MAKE TOO MUCH PROFIT ,THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE REALLY SUFFERING FROM THE CREDIT CRUNCH AND ITS PLAYING WITH PEOPLES LIFES , I THINK WE SHOULD STAND UP TO THESE PEOPLE ,AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH , I WOULD CHALLEGE ANYONE OF THESE GREEDY PEOPLE TO LIVE IN SOME OF THE POORER PEOPLES LIFES FOR A FEW MONTHS ON THERE INCOME .
By valisa Russell. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:40 PM.