DCMS Committee Chair ‘concerned’ at BBC pay
September 15, 2020
By Colin Mann
Julian Knight MP, Chair of the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has expressed concern at pay levels revealed in the BBC’s Annual Report.
“Despite Gary Lineker’s pay cut, when millions of pensioners are having to find extra cash to pay for the BBC and services they depend on, it’s concerning to see not only has the bill for on-air talent has grown by more than £1 million but that more than 100 senior executives are paid over £150,000 a year – in many cases considerably more than that,” he stated.
“We will continue to press the BBC on how well the licence fee payer is served as part of our ongoing inquiry into the role of public service broadcasting in this digital age. Whether people believe they get value for money is a central issue given the inroads into viewing habits by online streaming services such as Netflix which has given evidence to the Committee today.”
“The predecessor DCMS Committee consistently urged the BBC to act over the lack of women on its high earners’ list. Today we see results. We look forward to hearing that all equal pay cases have finally been resolved.
“The BBC’s re-statement that impartiality remains a core issue is welcome. The future of the broadcaster depends on retaining the trust of audiences. We raised concerns about impartiality when we questioned senior BBC executives about action taken after a presenter breached its guidelines.”
“We look forward to hearing from the new Director-General Tim Davie when he appears before the Committee later this month,” he concluded.
Davie will make his first appearance before the Committee, alongside other senior BBC executives, on Tuesday September 29th.