Bbc Pay Wars. And So It Begins:

[Zacs-Master]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/22/revolt-bbc-women-stars-pen-letter-demanding-equal-pay/

Looks like much more of the license fee will be going on wages. An inevitable result of publicising individuals earnings?

[murraymints]

they will have to rob Peter to pay Pat !

[Georgiesmum]

Yes, they have really opened a can of worms here, havent they?

[ummmm]

Should never have been published.

[mikey4444]

I don't agree that they shouldn't have published. If there is unfairness going on, why cover it up ?

All of the women that have signed this letter are just as capable as male presenters, so why shouldn't they be paid on a more equable basis ?

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40696402

[Zacs-Master]

Nice one Minty, but I can't see them reducing men's wages to subsidise women's.

It certainly is a can of worms and I think we're only just seeing the first wrigglings.

[murraymints]

some have alreadt taken a cut !

[Zacs-Master]

I think there's been speculation that they will be 'forced' to take one Minty, but I can't find evidence of it actually happening voluntarily yet.

[mikey4444]

Perhaps the Beeb should consider its pay rates to some of the overpaid male stars, and then use this to raise the rates of the ladies !

For instance, I cannot understand why Gary Lineker earns so much and Clare Balding earns so little. She is in every way just as talented a sports presenter, and should be recognised as such.

I listen to the Today Programme a great deal, and while I think Humphrys is the best interviewer on any news program, anywhere, Sara Montague is also extremely capable. I have also become a fan of Mishal Husain.

[Zacs-Master]

I can only speculate that women are paid less in independent TV positions, otherwise they'd have been poached from the Beeb by Sky / ITV etc.

[mikey4444]

Zacs....I heard Humphrys on a late afternoon radio program this week, and he made the point that he had been approached another radio/tv company but he refused as he thought that the BBC was the best one to work for.

There is cachet attached to working for the Beeb that just doesn't exist for other broadcasting companies.

The BBC have brought this on itself. But the situation is just the same with other, non-publicly funded broadcasters.

Nobody can realistically expect that everybody in the Beeb should be paid the same but the disparagement between women and men is huge.

[Zacs-Master]

I think the 'cachet attached to working for the Beeb that just doesn't exist for other broadcasting companies' is a worn out cliche and will be expunged completely by the ensuing wage wars. Well done the Govt!

[mikey4444]

Its what Humphrys has said Zacs....I am not sure how widespread that feeling is though.

[Zacs-Master]

Humphreys is surely near the end of his career. He'll be thinking of his pension pot and toeing the party line. His career developed when it did indeed mean something to work for the BBC, especially abroad.

[youngmafbog]

Answer is simple, fire the overpaid men. No one will miss them.

When the EU dictated pension donations could not be different depending on age the company I worked for didnt raise everyone's to 10%, instead they dropped all to 6%. So it is done in the private sector why not in the public?

[Zacs-Master]

Because they'll all migrate to Independant companies within weeks if not days, who pay the going rate. I fear this might actually happen and leave the BBC as a very second rate broadcaster who can't recruit, leading to its ultimate demise. I appreciate some might applaud that.

[youngmafbog]

The BBC should not compete for ratings. It should be providing the entertainment that is not commercially viable it does not need to pay a DJ 1/2 million there are plenty who will do it for much less and probably be better.

As for celebrity News and readers and sports commentators I really dont get it. They read an auto cue any monkey can be trained to do that I am sure, and again there will be plenty of people willing to do it for normal salary. We dont need to pay out 1.8 million to comment on football or 400K to read the News.

[Zacs-Master]

What is 'entertainment which is not commercially viable' and why should it only be producing this?

[HansUrbancka]

If women do the same work as men they should be paid the same. Full stop.

Mikey has made a lot of goods points. In fact , before pressing the button to post, I have re-read all that Mikey has posted in this thread and find that I am agreeing with all he has said.

Hans.

[youngmafbog]

Entertainment that is not commercially viable generally means niche works.

Why should it do this? Because it is a public funded broadcaster and it should not encroach on the commercial sector, in addition because it then means more walks of life are catered for. Ratings should not be driving the BBC if they must be there they should be exploring the boundaries of broadcasting rather than mainstream.

Perhaps you could now tell me why you think a publicly funded corporation should compete for ratings with commercial broadcasters?