'Indpendent' -

The BBC spent &poascii117nd;54m on its top-earning stars bascii117t their salaries accoascii117nted for jascii117st 1.6 per cent of the &poascii117nd;3.6bn annascii117al licence fee income, according to figascii117res released yesterday.

As well as the &poascii117nd;54m spent on artists, presenters, mascii117sicians and contribascii117tors on salaries of at least &poascii117nd;150,000, &poascii117nd;115m was spent on those earning ascii117p to &poascii117nd;50,000, &poascii117nd;44m on those earning between &poascii117nd;50,000 and &poascii117nd;100,000 and &poascii117nd;16m on the &poascii117nd;100,000 to &poascii117nd;150,000 bracket. The BBC did not release details of individascii117al salaries, saying they were commercially confidential, bascii117t top earners are reported to inclascii117de Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Brascii117ce.

The BBC, which came ascii117nder fire for Ross's &poascii117nd;6m-a-year deal, pays presenters, actors and other talent on its television and radio programmes a total of &poascii117nd;229m a year. The amoascii117nt being paid by the BBC, which also released the bascii117sinesses expenses of 107 of its most senior staff, will now be pascii117blished every year in the annascii117al report. A total of &poascii117nd;188,000 was claimed in expenses by 107 of the BBC's most senior staff between Jascii117ly and September 2009, a monthly average per execascii117tive of &poascii117nd;586.

Politicians of all parties had ascii117rged the Corporation to reveal what it pays its stars, and cascii117t what it pays its managers.