Where are the women? BBC’s 10 best-paid stars are still men

The BBC says it is getting closer to ending the pay gap, despite the top 10 list of big earners still being made up of men.

A 2017/18 salary report shows that Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker is the top earner, taking home about £1.75m.

Chris Evans, who was knocked off last year’s top spot, was still one of the broadcaster’s best-paid stars, followed by Radio 2 DJ Graham Norton.

The other top 10 earners were broadcasters Steve Wright, Huw Edwards, Jeremy Vine, Alan Shearer, Nicky Campbell, Nick Grimshaw and Stephen Nolan.

The highest-paid woman on the list is Claudia Winkleman, who is paid about £370,000.

The BBC has argued that the list does not truly reflect the balance of payments to men and women, as earnings for some shows are paid through BBC Studios.

However, the creation of the spin-off company has led to accusations that the broadcaster is hiding the true salaries of some of its biggest stars.

In the move towards gender pay equality, three of the broadcaster’s highest-earning male presenters have agreed to take pay cuts.

BBC Radio 4 John Humphrys earns about £400,000 and will take a pay cut to below £300,000.

Nicky Campbell, who works for BBC Radio 5 Live and currently earns about £410,000, will see his pay fall to about £350,000 a year.

News anchor Huw Edwards, the BBC’s highest-paid journalist, will earn “way below” the £500,000 to £529,000 he is currently paid.

The BBC also highlights the fact that more on air female talent are now earning more than £150,000.

Women on the list who appear to have received pay rises include Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, Europe editor Katya Adler and Woman’s Hour host Jane Garvey.

Garvey said: “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 BBCWomen, 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.”

Today Programme presenter Mishal Husain – who the report lists as receiving a salary of £220,000 – tweeted saying: “This list shows how far the BBC still has to go in valuing women and men equally for their work.”

Husain went on to urge management to swiftly resolve the many pay claims she said still need to be addressed.

In 2017/18, 64 of the BBC’s on air stars earned more than £150,000, compared to 58 in the previous financial year.

The six person increase was down to eight women being added to the list, and two men being knocked off.

Of the 64, 42 are men and 22 are women.

The broadcaster said the split between the highest-earning men and women presenters had narrowed to 60:40.

It said that was a significant improvement from 75:25 for the previous year.

The corporation has set a target of 50:50 by 2020.

(c) Sky News 2018: Where are the women? BBC’s 10 best-paid stars are still men