Anger as BBC hides pay of its £229m stars

The BBC was accused today of having a "culture of secrecy" after it refused to reveal how much it pays its top presenters and stars.

The corporation said performers received £229 million for the year up to last March — but would not disclose what individuals such as Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Bruce cost the licence payer.

The decision by BBC boss Mark Thompson angered critics who claim the BBC has a duty to be more open.

Douglas Carswell, a Conservative member of the public accounts committee, said the BBC was acting like the "duck house brigade" of MPs disgraced over their expenses, adding: "It's a cover-up. It's unacceptable for a publicly funded broadcaster to not let the public know how they are using our money."

Conservative MP Edward Leigh, chairman of the committee, said: "This is a culture of secrecy that does not fit in the modern world. Their top people are ludicrously overpaid. The BBC should be entirely transparent like everybody else in the public sector."

He said millions of people on low wages had to pay the "poll tax" licence fee to fund the salaries of BBC stars.

The BBC would only say that it has a total of 300,000 contracts with "talent" but would not say how many individuals this represents. The figures only apply to people directly employed by the BBC, not those working for production companies.

A spokesman said that if individual salaries were disclosed "there is a danger they could be trumped by the BBC's competitors".

Caroline Thomson, the BBC's chief operating officer, said: "Artists, presenters, musicians and other contributors are central to the BBC's ability to deliver high quality and distinctive programming and we know that audiences expect to see and hear them on BBC programmes.

"The BBC engages some of the greatest performers in the world across television and radio, and also nurtures and develops people that will be at the heart of our programmes in the future. They add to the credibility, expertise and creativity of the BBC."

The BBC published details of the salaries and expenses of its top management in June last year.

The broadcaster has been under huge pressure to give more information about highly paid on-screen "talent" since details were leaked four years ago. Anger intensified over the £18 million three-year contract that was offered to Ross to keep him at the BBC in 2007, although he is leaving the broadcaster later this year.

Other top-paid stars include Graham Norton on about £2 million a year, Jeremy Paxman on £1 million and Fiona Bruce who gets about £500,000. Today the BBC said the £229 million to artists, presenters and musicians represented 6.5 per cent of the licence fee.

Of the total, £114 million went on contracts worth less than £50,000 a year, £44 million for those between £50,000 and £100,000, £17 million on the £100,000 to £150,000 band and £54 million to those paid more than £150,000.

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster said that even if the individual sums could not be disclosed publicly they should be made available to the National Audit Office. He said: "It is absolutely critical that these eye-watering sums are submitted to an independent audit by a public body representing the public interest."

Yesterday director general Mr Thompson told the public accounts committee that full disclosure would be counter-productive. "We actually in most cases try to pay less than the market rate where we can so releasing individual salaries could push costs up," he said.

The BBC has been accused of overpaying its top talent at a time when many other broadcasters are having to cut costs due to the recession. ITV's Ant and Dec signed a new deal in November which left them £5 million worse off each. The BBC is guaranteed its £3.6 billion income from the licence fee and has been accused of causing "super-inflation" of wages.

Fiona Bruce
It has been reported that the 45-year-old newsreader commands a salary of about £500,000. The former Crimewatch presenter, who moved to Antiques Roadshow, has described Jonathan Ross's salary as "a hell of a lot".

Jeremy Paxman
The Newsnight presenter is said to earn about £1 million a year. Paxman, who also presents University Challenge, was quizzed on his salary last year during a Newsnight interview with London Mayor Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson accused Paxman of being paid an "elephantine sum". Paxman replied: "You don't know [what I earn]."

Graham Norton
Recently signed a new two-year deal reportedly worth about £4 million, taking an annual pay cut of £500,000. His new deal includes a new series of his BBC1 chat show and presenting duties on BBC1's latest Saturday night talent show, Over The Rainbow — the hunt for a Dorothy to star in The Wizard of Oz. Norton will also host the TV Baftas and the BBC's Eurovision coverage.

Fearne Cotton
The 27-year-old DJ, who is a distant relative of late BBC executive Sir Bill Cotton, was believed to have doubled her salary to about £200,000 after winning the mid-morning slot on Radio 1 previously held by Jo Whiley. Cotton has also presented parts of the BBC's Eurovision coverage and music festivals including the Isle of Wight.

Anne Robinson
In 2007, the Weakest Link presenter reportedly struck a £6 million two-year deal to continue to front the gameshow. It is believed that she was kept on her £3 million annual salary after agreeing to return to consumer programme Watchdog.

Christine Bleakley
The One Show presenter was said to be paid about £100,000 a year for her role on the magazine show which she presents alongside Adrian Chiles. It is believed that the 31-year-old took a pay cut last year when she agreed a new two-year deal.