BBC likely to keep star salaries secret

Sir Michael Lyons

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BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons is to to examine whether the corporation should publish the salaries of star presenters like Jonathan Ross in salary bands - but is unlikely to go ahead with it.

The cross-party Commons media select committee has forced the trust to look into the move, though Lyons is resistant to any such change of policy.

Speaking to the Committee at the climax of a three-hour grilling yesterday after the publication of the corporation's annual report, Lyons said the Trust's current view was that it would not be in the interest of the BBC for individual salaries to be disclosed.

Nevertheless, his assurance represents an advance for MPs, who have been waging a struggle to force the BBC to disclose the payments it makes to top presenters.

The BBC itself opened the way for the battle to be resumed by listing the salary bands of BBC managers in its report.

Director general Mark Thompson told the committee: "As public officers, it is appropriate our emoluments and expenses should be subject to scrutiny and mine are."

But he said: "When we contract someone to present a programme, our belief - common in our industry - is that the interests of confidentiality applies."

Thompson flatly rejected a request by Nigel Evans to say how much Ross was paid by the BBC last year.

But Mr Evans asked whether in future star presenters could be listed in salary bands. "At least we would start to know how many people are receiving huge chunks of money," he said.

Lyons said the issue for the Trust was whether the publication of top salaries would lead to better or worse value for the BBC. "Our view is that it would almost certainly lead to less value."

But, asked to examine the idea, Lyons told MPs: "I will take that away to consider as a proposition, but without agreeing to the suggestion that it would be in the licence fee payer's interest for us to move in that direction."

Thompson also defended Jenny Abramsky's pension after Evans asked how the former veteran head of BBC's radio retired on a pension of £190,000.

"It is a staggering figure when you consider the Prime Minister doesn't even earn that now," Evans told Thompson, adding that there were many who had continuously worked for one organisation with pensions of less than £25,000 a year.

Mr Thompson said the BBC's final salary pensions scheme itself was unexceptional, but added: "What is exceptional about Jenny Abramsky is that she spent 39 years working for the BBC. Most people in broadcasting move around."