Public television organisation the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) spent just over £158.6 million for on-air job roles in the 2018-2019 financial year; equating to 10% of the organisation’s total internal creative content spend.
Its Group annual report and accounts 2018-2019, published in July 2019, also detailed individuals at the BBC who are paid more than £150,000 from license fee revenue in each financial year. The organisation is required to publish this information on an annual basis under the terms of its Royal Charter.
Football commentator and presenter Gary Lineker is listed as the highest-paid on-air talent at the BBC, earning between £1,750,000 and £1,754,999. Radio presenter Chris Evans is the highest-paid radio presenter, with a salary between £1,250,000 and £1,254,999, followed by television and radio host Graham Norton, who earns between £610,000 and £614,999.
The highest-paid female on-air employees at the BBC are presenters Zoe Ball and Claudia Winkleman, both earning between £370,000 and £374,999. Other highly paid women at the BBC include BBC 6 Music host Lauren Laverne, with a wage between £305,000 and £309,999, and radio presenter Sara Cox, who takes home between £235,000 and £239,999.
Of the on-air individuals earning more than £150,000 from license fee revenue in 2018-2019, 66% are male and 34% are female. For 2019 to 2020, this is projected to reach a 55% male and 45% female split. Around a fifth (20%) of the on-air talent comprises black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) employees.
The BBC employs a total of 22,401 staff.
Tony Hall, director-general at the BBC, said: “The BBC has turned the corner on gender pay. When we first published the figures for top talent, there was a 75:25 split between men and women. The projection for 2019-2020 is now 55:45. This is significant change. The task is not complete, we are not complacent, but we are well on our way.”
