‘Salt in the wound’: Fury as BBC chief Tim Davie is awarded inflation-busting £75,000 pay boost to £525,000 after millions of over-75s lost free TV licence
- Mr Davie – who’s only been in job for year – now earns three times more than PM
- 16.6% rise also follows job losses at broadcaster and millions of pounds in cuts
- Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said the news would infuriate over-75s
The BBC provoked fury today after handing its chief Tim Davie an inflation-busting £75,000 pay rise to £525,000 after millions of over-75s lost free TV licences.
The 16.6 percent rise also follows job losses at the broadcaster and millions of pounds in cuts to services.
Mr Davie, 54, who has only been in the role for a year, now earns more than three times as much as the Prime Minister, who is on £160,000.
Mr Davie, 54, who has only been in the role for a year, now earns more than three times as much as the Prime Minister, who is on £160,000
2020: £1,750,000-£1,754,999
2021: 1,360,000-£1,364,999
Pay cut taken: £390,000
2. Zoe Ball – DOWN
2020: £1,360,000-£1,364,999
2021: £1,130,000-£1,134,999
Pay cut taken: £230,000
3. Steve Wright – DOWN
2020: £475,000-£479,999
2021: £465,000-£469,999
Pay cut taken: £10,000
4. Huw Edwards – DOWN
2020: £465,000-£469,999
2021: £425,000- £429,999
Pay cut taken: £40,000
5. Fiona Bruce – DOWN
2020: £450,000-£454,999
2021: £405,000-£409,999
Pay cut taken: £45,000
6. Stephen Nolan – UP
2020: £390,000-£394,999
2021: £405,000-£409,999
Pay rise taken: £15,000
7. Lauren Laverne – NO CHANGE
2020: £395,000 – £399,999
2021: 395,000-£399,999
8. Vanessa Feltz – DOWN
2020: £405,000-£409,999
2021: £390,000-£394,999
Pay cut taken: £15,000
9. Alan Shearer – NO CHANGE
2020: £390,000-£394,999
2021: £390,000-£394,999
10. Scott Mills – UP
2020: £345,000-£349,999
2021: £375,000-£379,999
Pay rise taken: £30,000
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed told the Mirror: ‘This will be a publicity disaster for the BBC as it seeks to increase the licence fee in discussions with the Government, and will be used by the BBC’s enemies.
‘It will rub salt in the wound of the millions of over-75s who have been forced to pay the licence fee.
Over-75s previously received their £157.50 TV licences for free but have had to cover the cost since the end of July.
It followed the Government’s decision to pass the cost of funding the perk to the corporation, which said it could not afford to pick up the bill.
Sources said Mr Davie took a pay cut after moving from chief executive of BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial division, to become Director General.
A spokesman said his salary was ‘well below the market rate for this type of role’ and noted that ITV chief Carolyn McCall at ITV is paid £833,000, and Channel 4’s Alex Mahon earns £991,000.
There have been repeated pay scandals at the BBC, which now releases the salaries of its top talent.
Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Huw Edwards are among the 10 highest paid BBC stars who took a pay cut in the last year – as Scott Mills and Greg James both received salary rises, the corporation’s annual report revealed in July.
However, Conservative MP Julian today called for the BBC to ‘commit to full transparency on its talent bill and drop the smoke and mirrors approach’ as he pointed out many continued to receive pay packets made through BBC Studios, the broadcaster’s commercial arm – which are not revealed.
Match of the Day host Lineker was still the BBC’s highest earning on-air talent taking home between £1,360,000 and £1,364,999.
Ball came in second with a £1,130,000 to £1,134,999 salary between 2020 and 2021.
This was despite both stars taking pay cuts and Lineker slashing his £1.75million pay package by £400,000 as part of a five-year deal.
Ball also took a reduction in her pay when agreeing a new two-year deal as Radio 2’s breakfast host because she felt ‘uncomfortable’ about her £1million rise.
The remaining three stars in the top five – Steve Wright, Huw Edwards and Question Time anchor Fiona Bruce – are all earning less than they did in 2019 to 2020.
But Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and his colleague Greg James both topped up their salaries with pay rises of £30,000 and £85,000 respectively.
Meanwhile, the report also revealed that former BBC director-general Lord Hall took home £190,000 in the final five months of his time running the broadcaster.
Over-75s previously received their £157.50 TV licences for free but have had to cover the cost since the end of July. File photo
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