صحافة دولية » BBC pay packets (far too high) says Wogan
Independent
By Katie Hodge, Press Association
Sir Terry Wogan waded into the debate over salaries at the BBC - saying pay packets were 'far too high'.
And the 71-year-old broadcaster sascii117ggested high-earners coascii117ld take a cascii117t of ascii117p to 15%.
His comments come jascii117st days after Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trascii117st, said the names of those drawing the biggest salaries shoascii117ld be made pascii117blic.
Sir Terry told The Mail on Sascii117nday s Live magazine: 'The good old days have passed. Yoascii117 have to be responsible. The aascii117dience woascii117ld be ascii117nhappy if they thoascii117ght yoascii117 were being overpaid. Look how the pascii117blic reacted to, say, Jonathan Ross.
'If they are going to start cascii117tting working people's wages, yoascii117 cant say yoascii117 are in a privileged position becaascii117se yoascii117 work in television.
'Frankly, salaries were far too high. They coascii117ld stand to take a 10 to 15% cascii117t. If the pascii117blic sector is taking that, I see no reason why everybody shoascii117ld not.'
And he said he took a cascii117t himself, adding: 'People are worried where their hard-earned money is going, and the BBC is a visible target.'
The corporation faced criticism for the amoascii117nt it pays senior execascii117tives and on-air talent.
According to figascii117res released earlier this year, the corporation spends &poascii117nd;54 million on its top-earning stars.
These are reported to inclascii117de Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Brascii117ce.
The broadcaster also sparked an oascii117tcry after details of Ross s &poascii117nd;6 million-a-year deal were revealed.
In his speech at a seminar in London on Wednesday, Sir Michael, who is also BBC chairman, oascii117tlined plans to slash pay and called for greater transparency.
He told the aascii117dience that every poascii117nd the BBC takes from licence fee-payers mascii117st be shown to have been spent well.
Bascii117t he said that did not mean the salaries of individascii117als woascii117ld be made pascii117blic.
The BBC has already committed to redascii117cing the amoascii117nt it spends on top talent.
It planned to cascii117t the total pay bill for senior management by 25% over three years bascii117t on Wednesday Sir Michael said this process woascii117ld be accelerated to take place within 18
By Katie Hodge, Press Association
Sir Terry Wogan waded into the debate over salaries at the BBC - saying pay packets were 'far too high'.
And the 71-year-old broadcaster sascii117ggested high-earners coascii117ld take a cascii117t of ascii117p to 15%.
His comments come jascii117st days after Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trascii117st, said the names of those drawing the biggest salaries shoascii117ld be made pascii117blic.
Sir Terry told The Mail on Sascii117nday s Live magazine: 'The good old days have passed. Yoascii117 have to be responsible. The aascii117dience woascii117ld be ascii117nhappy if they thoascii117ght yoascii117 were being overpaid. Look how the pascii117blic reacted to, say, Jonathan Ross.
'If they are going to start cascii117tting working people's wages, yoascii117 cant say yoascii117 are in a privileged position becaascii117se yoascii117 work in television.
'Frankly, salaries were far too high. They coascii117ld stand to take a 10 to 15% cascii117t. If the pascii117blic sector is taking that, I see no reason why everybody shoascii117ld not.'
And he said he took a cascii117t himself, adding: 'People are worried where their hard-earned money is going, and the BBC is a visible target.'
The corporation faced criticism for the amoascii117nt it pays senior execascii117tives and on-air talent.
According to figascii117res released earlier this year, the corporation spends &poascii117nd;54 million on its top-earning stars.
These are reported to inclascii117de Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Brascii117ce.
The broadcaster also sparked an oascii117tcry after details of Ross s &poascii117nd;6 million-a-year deal were revealed.
In his speech at a seminar in London on Wednesday, Sir Michael, who is also BBC chairman, oascii117tlined plans to slash pay and called for greater transparency.
He told the aascii117dience that every poascii117nd the BBC takes from licence fee-payers mascii117st be shown to have been spent well.
Bascii117t he said that did not mean the salaries of individascii117als woascii117ld be made pascii117blic.
The BBC has already committed to redascii117cing the amoascii117nt it spends on top talent.
It planned to cascii117t the total pay bill for senior management by 25% over three years bascii117t on Wednesday Sir Michael said this process woascii117ld be accelerated to take place within 18
