Heat Street today publishes a list of 42 BBC presenters who out-earn the Prime Minister, as the information is finally due to be made public.
The Government is preparing to order the Corporation to reveal pay of anyone on more than £150,000 as part of the BBC charter renewal. Theresa May’s pay packet is £149,440.
The new stance is much tougher than that proposed by former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, who mysteriously caved in over this issue a few months ago and was planning to let the BBC get away with only revealing salaries above £450,000.
These names were supplied by helpful BBC insiders who believe making this information more widely known is in the public interest.
Everybody included is either a freelancer, on staff, paid through a service company or by a production company.
All, ultimately, are paid with TV licence fee money.
There are others. We will endeavor to name them in due course.
The list:
Graham Norton – Radio 2/Graham Norton show
Chris Evans – Radio 2/(former Top Gear)
Gary Lineker – Match of the Day
David Dimbleby – Question Time
Huw Edwards – News presenter
Fiona Bruce – News presenter/various TV programmes
Steve Wright – Radio 2
Jeremy Vine – Radio 2/various TV programmes
Andrew Marr – Andrew Marr show/Radio 4 work
Matt LeBlanc – Top Gear
Mishal Husain – Radio 4 Today
Nick Robinson – Radio 4 Today
John Humphrys – Radio 4 Today
Justin Webb – Radio 4 Today
Sarah Montague – Radio 4 Today
Jim Naughtie – Radio 4 Today/Bookclub
Alan Yentob – Imagine
Evan Davis – Newsnight
Emily Maitlis – Newsnight
Kirsty Wark – Newsnight
Nicky Campbell – Radio 5 Live Breakfast Show/ The Big Questions BBC1
Clive Myrie – News presenter
Gavin Esler – News presenter
George Alagiah – News presenter
Simon Mayo – Radio 2 presenter
Ken Bruce – Radio 2 presenter
Claudia Winkleman – Radio 2/Strictly Come Dancing/The Film Programme
Tess Daly – Strictly Come Dancing
Laura Kuenssberg – Political editor
John Simpson – World Affairs editor
Sophie Raworth – News/current affairs presenter
Martha Kearney – Radio 4 presenter
Will Gompertz – Arts editor
Kamal Ahmed – Economics editor
James Landale – Diplomatic Correspondent
Reeta Chakrabarti – News presenter
Andrew Neil – Daily Politics/This Week presenter
Jane Hill – News presenter
Jon Sopel – North America editor
Eddie Mair – Radio 4 PM
Tim Willcox – TV newsreader
Simon McCoy – TV newsreader
If any of those listed honestly believes they are not paid more than the Prime Minister through their BBC activities and requests the removal of their name from this list, we will happily amend it.
When an earlier version of this list was published in May, a BBC spokesman said: “Given Heat Street has previously published wildly inaccurate claims on BBC pay despite being told it’s inaccurate, we’d suggest any further claims are taken with a large heap of salt. It is well known we pay less than other broadcasters – plenty of people have left us to earn more elsewhere. The BBC publishes data on the number and salaries of talent in news, radio, television and digital by broad bands in its annual report.”
miles.goslett@dowjones.com