The BBC’s annual report shows it still has a long way to go “in valuing women and men equally for their work”, leading presenters at the corporation have said.
Broadcasting House published its annual report on Wednesday, which shows that its top 12 highest earners are all white men. This is an increase from last year, when the top seven were male.
Just two of the BBC’s 20 most highly-paid stars are women, despite the corporation lauding the fact it had cut its gender pay gap from 9.3% to 7.6% in the past year.
The broadcaster is required to show the salaries of those earning over £150,000, with Gary Lineker, Chris Evans and Graham Norton topping the list.
BBC Women, a group formed last year, said many women at all levels of the organisation are still trying to resolve pay discrepancies.
Their statement was shared on social media following the publication of the report, with female members of staff declaring they will “keep on fighting”.
Mishal Husain, Jane Garvey and Sarah Montague were among those to share the statement.
The report, which covers the financial year of 2017/18, only lists earners working in News and Current Affairs, Sport, Children’s and Radio shows that are made by the BBC in-house.
Claudia Winkleman is still the corporation’s top female earner, taking home between £370,000 and £379,999, but her work on Strictly Come Dancing will not be included in this sum due to the new criteria.
New female entries on the list compared to last year include former Bake Off favourite Mary Berry and Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis.
The corporation had a total of 14 women earning £150,000 and more in its report last year, compared to 22 women this year. Yet there are still no females earning more than £400,000.
After last year’s pay data uncovered a huge gender pay gap in the corporation, presenters Nicky Campbell, Huw Edwards, Jon Sopel, Jeremy Vine, Nick Robinson and John Humphrys all accepted reduced wages.
It also prompted many women working for the corporation to join together to campaign for equal pay from bosses.
Former China editor Carrie Gracie recently received an apology and back pay, following the revelation she was paid significantly lower than her colleagues, North America editor Jon Sopel and Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.
BBC on-air salary list 2017-18
- 1. Gary Lineker – £1,750,000-£1,759,999
- 2. Chris Evans – £1,660,000-£1,669,999
- 3. Graham Norton – £600,000-£609,999
- 4. Steve Wright – £550,000-£559,999
- 5. Huw Edwards – £520,000-£529,999
- 6. Jeremy Vine – £440,000-£449,999
- =7. Nicky Campbell – £410,000-£419,999
- =7. Alan Shearer – £410,000-£419,999
- =9. John Humphrys – £400,000-£409,999
- =9. Nick Grimshaw – £400,000-£409,999
- =9. Stephen Nolan – £400,000-£409,999
- =9. Andrew Marr – £400,000-£409,999
New entries since 2016-17 list
- Emily Maitlis – £220,000-£229,999
- Amol Rajan – £200,000-£209,999
- Mary Berry – £190,000-£199,999
- Katya Adler – £170,000-£179,999
- Ian Wright – £170,000-£179,999
- Sarah Montague – £160,000-£169,999
- Rachel Burden – £150,000-£159,999
- Tina Daheley – £150,000-£159,999
- Jane Garvey – £150,000-£159,999
- Simon Jack – £150,000-£159,999
- Feargal Keane – £150,000-£159,999
- Sarah Smith – £150,000-£159,999
Journalists, politicians and media commentators highlighted some of the shocking discrepancies in the organisation’s pay structure.
The total number of men earning more than £150,000 has decreased from 44 in last year’s report to 42 this year.
But while there are no women earning more than £400,000 on this year’s list, there are 12 men earning at least that figure.
Woman’s Hour host Jane Garvey, one of the female stars to have received a salary bump – taking her pay to between £150,000 and £159,999 – told the Press Association: “I made the list of high earners this year as the result of what the BBC called a ‘pay revision’.
“I know I am incredibly well paid. Many in the real world would argue that I am too well paid.
“Female broadcasters, journalists and producers at the BBC are a privileged bunch. In the last year, as BBC Women, we’ve used that privilege in the right way, to start a conversation about equal pay. There’s still a long way to go… and, obviously, not just at the BBC.”
Speaking at a press conference, BBC Director-General Tony Hall said: “We’re trying to get a balanced range of men and women and their pay right across the organisation.
“I am concentrating on what is a huge change, which is going from 25% of women to 40% of women being in the top, over £150,000 pay.”
He added: “These things take time.”