Media News - Friday, July 11, 2008

BBC chiefs cash in after year of turmoil

Senior executives at the BBC have been given pay rises of more than EUR 125,718 each after a year in which the corporation was dogged by phone-in scandals, job cuts, and revelations about editorial “fakery”. The director general, Mark Thompson, and nine other corporation bosses earned EUR 6,235,621 in 2007-08, a rise of 17 percent on the previous year. Most BBC employees received pay increases of 4 percent over the same period, broadly in line with inflation. Thompson's salary rose from EUR 990,659 last year to EUR 1,025,860, while that of Mark Byford, his deputy, rose from EUR 549,388 to EUR 644,934. The corporation's annual report also revealed that for the fourth successive year Thompson waived a bonus of EUR 75,430 close to the maximum awarded by the corporation. In October, Thompson announced that the BBC would lose up to 1,800 jobs, after receiving a smaller than expected licence fee settlement from the Government. That figure has since risen to 2,500. Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision, saw her salary rise by EUR 129,490, to EUR 673,849 . She was criticised for her role in the "Crowngate" affair, after a trailer for a documentary wrongly suggested that the Queen had stormed out of a photoshoot at Buckingham Palace. Jenny Abramsky, the outgoing director of audio and radio, who is leaving the BBC with a pension of EUR 5,028,727 - thought to be a record for the British public sector - was paid EUR 526,759, a 27 percent increase from EUR 413,613. Her bonus was EUR 23,886. Ashley Highfield, who has since left his post as future media executive director, saw his overall pay rise by EUR 134,518 to EUR 585,847. This came after the corporation went more than EUR 45m over budget on its website. (The Independent)

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