BBC Rich List 2024: £79 million bill for BBC bigwigs

For immediate release

• BBC stars and executives are both receiving mega-salaries, with senior executives costing £40 million in 2023-24 and on-air talent costing a total of £39 million.
  
  
• A total of 447 staff at the BBC earn over £100,000 while 155 receive salaries above £178,000.
  
  
• The huge cost of BBC salaries is deeply unfair on pensioners and hard-pressed taxpayers, who are fed up of being forced to pay the licence fee. 

Research from the TaxPayers' Alliance has revealed the cost of the top paid BBC executives is running into the tens of millions of pounds, alongside the staggering salaries paid to BBC stars.

Analysis of the BBC’s annual report and accounts puts the total pay bill for senior BBC staff at an estimated £79 million, with £39 million being paid to on-air talent, and £40 million paid to backroom bosses. This includes 88 named senior executives with salaries over £178,000, a significant increase from the 67 in 2022-23. The number of on-air talent with salaries over £178,000 fell by one. A total of 447 staff at the BBC, including backroom bosses and on-air talent, earn over £100,000.

The 56 senior executives receiving over £178,000 in both 2023-24 and 2022-23 saw an average pay rise of £9,536 from the previous year, while the 57 ‘on-air talents’ in this category saw an average pay rise of £5,895 from the previous year. The median salary across the BBC was £52,397 in 2023-24, 8 this is 50 per cent more than median earnings across the UK which was £34,963 in the year ending April 2023.

The highest paid executive in 2023-24 was Tim Davie, the director general, who received total remuneration of £527,000, including salary and benefits. The highest paid on-air ‘talent’ in 2023-24 was Gary Lineker, with a £1,352,500 salary, the same as what he received in 2022-23.

The news comes as the BBC reveals that the number of TV licences purchased fell by half a million year-on-year. The licence fee now stands at £169.50 having risen by £10.60 or 6.6 per cent on 1st April 2024.

READ THE FULL RESEARCH HERE

Key findings:

• In 2023-24, there were 227 ‘senior leaders’ and 220 individuals with on-air roles receiving salaries over £100,000. 
• This included 88 senior executives receiving over £178,000, a 31.3 per cent increase from the 67 in 2022-23. In contrast, the number of ‘on-air talents’ receiving over £178,000 fell by one to 67 in 2023-24.
• In 2023-24, senior executives with salaries over £178,000 collectively received £20,563,000. This included four HR directors who were paid a total of £805,000. ‘On-air talent’ receiving salaries over £178,000 were collectively paid £19,266,500 in 2023-24.
• The 56 senior executives receiving over £178,000 in both 2023-24 and 2022-23 saw an average pay rise of £9,536 from the previous year, while the 57 ‘on-air talents’ in this category saw an average pay rise of £5,895 from the previous year.
  • Leigh Tavaziva, group chief operating officer, saw her remuneration rise by £25,000 to £442,000 in 2023-24, the most of any senior executive.  
  • Balram Veliath, director, quality, risk and assurance, saw his salary rise by 5 pay bands, from £222,500 in 2022-23 to £247,500 in 2023-24, the most of any senior executive.
  • Nick Robinson, of the Today programme, was paid £347,500 in 2023-24, an increase of £70,000 from 2022-23 or 25.2 per cent, the largest increase of any ‘on-air talent’ in cash terms.
  • Reeta Chakrabarti of BBC News at One, BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten received the largest increase in percentage terms from 2022-23, 25.3 per cent or £55,000 to £272,500 in 2023-24.
• The highest paid executive in 2023-24 was Tim Davie, the director general. He received a total of £527,000 in salary and taxable benefits. This included use of a car and driver.  
• The highest paid on-air ‘talent’ in 2023-24 was Gary Lineker, with a £1,352,500 salary, the same as what he received in 2022-23.
• Jonathan Munro, deputy CEO of news and director of journalism, who received a salary of £287,500, expensed a £8,372 round trip flight to Sydney, a £4,102 round trip flight to Doha and Beijing, a £948 hotel stay at the Shangri-La – Eros Hotel in New Delhi, and a £753 stay at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney in the first half of 2023-24 for which data was available. 
• The median salary across the BBC was £52,397 in 2023-24, 8 this is 50 per cent more than median earnings across the UK which was £34,963 in the year ending April 2023.

READ THE FULL RESEARCH HERE

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

“Licence fee payers will be livid at the excess and extravagance of the top level pay packets at the Beeb.

“BBC bosses love to bang the drum for the quality and quantity of the broadcaster’s output, yet are clearly terrified to put it to the test of the free market, instead relying on a punitive and pernicious TV tax to raise revenue. 

“The next licence fee review should recognise that this model of funding is decades out of date and needs to be replaced with a subscription service.”


TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)


Media contact:

Elliot Keck
Head of Campaigns, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Notes to editors:

1. Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
   
   
2. TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
   
   
3. The quote included in this press release is the same that was sent out in an earlier reaction to the annual report’s publication.