‘Insulting’: BBC staff anger at 1% pay-rise offer as job cuts loom

The BBC is facing an internal revolt as staff offered an “insulting” one per cent pay rise slammed top stars and executives for failing to take their share of the pain. The new Director-General is facing his first major challenge amid concerns over “moonlighting” talent, executive expenses and anger among staffers waiting to hear if their jobs will go in the latest round of cuts. Matt Brittin attended a stormy town hall meeting with BBC employees this week, telling staffers that the corporation, set to cut up to 2,000 jobs in a bid to fill a £500m funding “black hole”, needed to be “prudent” with its finances. “It went down badly,” said one attendee, who is part of the news team. “People wanted to know how much did the BBC spend on the Romesh Ranganathan ‘What has the BBC ever done for me?’ advert, how did the BBC justify paying (former Radio 2 breakfast host) Scott Mills £745,000 before he was sacked?” The BBC declined to say how much the advert to shore up support for the £180 licence fee – which funds public service television, radio and online content – cost. It was released after bosses admitted the corporation is facing a “moment of jeopardy”, with the number of licence fee payers dropping by half a million since last year. The BBC’s executive committee, including Brittin, will forego this year’s pay rise but the insider said: “There was anger that staff are being offered an insulting 1 per cent pay rise, which is essentially a pay cut. Why didn’t the executives offer to take a pay cut to share the pain?” Ranganathan joins the Strictly Come Dancing dancers in the ‘What has the BBC ever done for me?’ film (Photo: BBC) On the 1 per cent increase or a minimum of £500, whichever is greater, a BBC source said: “While the 25/26 pay award is currently subject to final agreement, we have chosen to direct all available funding to the across-the-board pay award, with a greater proportion targeted towards lower-paid colleagues via the minimum increase.” Amid the anger over the pay rise, recently published expenses data shows that interim News CEO Jonathan Munro claimed £36,000 for 10 return flights in 2025 in his role as Global Director of BBC News. The declaration included an £8,100 return ticket to New York. BBC sources said Munro flew business-class to New York in line with company policy since it was an eight-hour journey and he was required to work on arrival. The cost was inflated because the visit occurred during the UN General Assembly, which Munro spoke at. One senior journalist said: “The only justification for going business class is when a reporter needs to step straight off the plane to cover a story after a long-haul flight, not to attend a conference or meeting.” The BBC said that “on top of strict guidelines to ensure (staff travel) spend is appropriate and proportionate, we have introduced cost control measures to reduce non-essential travel”. ‘Moonlighting’ news presenters could quit Recent pay disclosures are threatening to set BBC talent against each other. Some staffers welcomed Chairman Samir Shah’s suggestion to cut the pay of figures who use their fame to take lucrative outside work. But one news presenter, who features on the “external events register,” said of Shah’s plan: “It would create massive upset, particularly among the not so well-paid people who do the odd gig and supplement their money.” A news staffer said the public register was created “to stop… moonlighting”, but if it leads to pay cuts for some people, then “more will leave”. The figure said it was unfair that the register only covers on-air staff in journalism and senior leaders but not other BBC talent. Different standards for entertainment stars Radio 2 mid-morning host Vernon Kay, the BBC’s fifth highest-paid star on £405,000, this week announced he was starring in a Sleeping Beauty panto in Bromley this Christmas. Vernon Kay, presenter of the Radio 2 mid-morning show, the UK’s most listened-to, will star in panto this Christmas (Photo: BBC) Kay was reported to have earned up to £190,000 for a previous panto role in Aladdin but he is not required to declare the payments. The BBC introduced the “moonlighting” register for on-air journalists and senior leaders in 2021 to “promote the highest standards of impartiality” and prevent perceived conflicts of interest. Non-news presenters like Kay are not required to declare their earnings. Biggest BBC News outside earners Amol Rajan – £115,000 Justin Webb – £110,000 John Simpson – £43,000 Clive Myrie – £41,000 Most entries on the register are news and current affairs journalists outside of the talent pay list, which covers those paid more than £178,000, who command fees of less than £1,000 to speak at events. The BBC declined to say how or when Shah’s pay cuts plan for “moonlighters” might be introduced. Another source of contention is the corporation’s decision not to publish how much some of its star TV entertainers, including Claudia Winkleman and Graham Norton, are paid. Their fees are paid through BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial wing, or via independent production companies. The BBC argues that those deals do not involve licence fee income and are commercially sensitive. ‘All having to be prudent’ Brittin told the staff meeting that the cuts would impact all levels of the BBC. “We’re definitely going to be looking at at least 10 per cent savings on senior management roles,” he said, adding: “We’re all having to be prudent.” An internal email to BBC News staff warned that there would be “fewer correspondents, reporters, producers and managers” under a shift to digital-first output. There are expected to be reductions in the number of chief news presenters and on-air specialist editors. Bérangère Michel, the BBC’s chief financial officer, told staff that the corporation could not afford to offer more than a one per cent pay rise but wanted to “protect those with the lowest pay”. The BBC said it was “committed to fair pay” and will “continue to review and monitor the pay of all colleagues to strike the right balance between remaining competitive, managing financial pressures and delivering value for audiences”.