Women at the BBC have told MPs they faced “veiled threats” while trying to get equal pay, it was revealed on Tuesday, as the corporation proposed a £320,000 cap on its news presenters’ salaries.
Some 170 women have put forward written evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, accusing the broadcaster of a “longstanding breach of trust, transparency and accountability”. They have also demanded an apology.
“BBC Women are very concerned that this publicly funded body is perpetuating a longstanding breach of its stated values of trust, transparency and accountability,” the evidence reads.
We believe the BBC must put these matters right by admitting the problem, apologising and setting in place an equal, fair and transparent pay structure.” Written evidence submitted by BBC Women
Auditors PwC have separately reviewed the pay and diversity of presenters, correspondents and on-air talent, the BBC said.
The upper pay limit will also apply to editors and correspondents, although the plans have not been fully agreed or signed off and those affected by the cap have been the opportunity to respond.
It has not been clarified if on-air staff will be able to earn more from other work at the BBC, such as entertainment programmes on radio and television.
Plans for a cap emerged as BBC director-general Lord Hall is set to be questioned by MPs on Wednesday over the broadcaster’s pay culture which has raged since last summer when the corporation published its salaries for on-air staff earning more than £150,000.
A report by a group representing women at the BBC said they have faced “veiled threats” while trying to raise the subject of pay, while the broadcaster’s China editor, Carrie Gracie, resigned earlier this month in protest at pay inequality.
“While individual BBC managers have been supportive there is still a bunker mentality in some quarters and women have experienced veiled threats made against them when they raised the subject of Equal Pay,” the evidence reads.
“It is interesting to note that following the transparency in the pay of managers earning above £150,000 the incoming female Head of News is being paid the same salary as her male predecessor. This transparency is now needed across the board.”
It emerged last week a number of the BBC’s leading male presenters had agreed to have their pay cut in the wake of the row.
The broadcaster said Jeremy Vine, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Nick Robinson and Huw Edwards would take reduced wages.
Figures released in 2017 showed Vine was one of the corporation’s highest paid stars, earning £700,000-£749,999; Humphrys, who presents the Radio 4 Today programme with Robinson, earned between £600,000 and £650,000 and BBC News presenter Edwards earned £550,000-£599,999.
Vine hosts a weekday show on Radio 2, as well as featuring in BBC News’ election coverage, while Humphrys also presents Mastermind on BBC Two.
Veteran broadcaster Humphrys agreed to cut his salary to around £250,000 to £300,000, saying the BBC is now in a different position financially to its past.
Jon Sopel, BBC’s North America editor, has also accepted a pay cut. The figures released last year showed he earned between £200,000-£249,999, while Gracie earned £135,000-a-year.
Radio 2′s Chris Evans topped the 2017 list on more than £2 million, while the highest paid woman was Claudia Winkleman on between £450,000 and £499,999.