BBC Radio 2 boss denies sexist salaries saying men paid more because they’re MORE TALENTED
Lewis Carnie, the controller of the nation’s most listened to station, said the idea the corporation is sexually discriminating against women is “ludicrous”. He said: “In our case at Radio 2, there is no gender pay gap. No one’s comparing like with like. “That misleads the entire situation. On a per show basis, it [the pay gap] doesn’t exist. And the idea that gender in any way would reflect what anyone is paid here at Radio 2 is ludicrous. "We couldn’t care what anybody is — gender, sexuality or ethnic origin — it’s totally irrelevant.
BBC BBC Radio 2 presenters Jo Whiley and Chris Evans
“What’s important is the talent, and they’re paid according to that. We have a lot of female talent — Zoë Ball, Sara Cox, Claudia Winkleman, Elaine Paige, Liza Tarbuck. “They’re paid in line or higher than many of the male presenters.” He told the Evening Standard: “Revealing everybody’s pay is one of the most unhelpful things that has ever happened. It’s a lose-lose situation. Because there’s no gender pay issue here at all, it really hasn’t helped us. “I mean, what is the point of it? With the exception of Chris Evans, who has an extraordinary market value because other people are after him, everyone else is kind of really in line.”
The Radio Academy BBC Radio 2 Controller Lewis Carnie
Mr Carnie also defended the pay packet of Mr Evans who receives an eye-watering annual salary of £2.2million. He said: “As someone who brings nearly 10 million listeners a week, yeah. He’s a phenomenal talent.” Six of the station’s nine biggest earners are men including Mr Evans, Jeremy Vine, who is on up to £750,000 and Steve Wright on up to £550,000. Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz are the station’s biggest earning female stars, on £500,000 and £400,000 respectively.
BBC salaries: List of BBC stars’ pay revealed Wed, July 19, 2017 The BBC has, for the first time, published salaries of its highest-paid stars Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 14 1: Chris Evans, Presenter (£2,200,000 - £2,249,999)
BBC BBC Radio 2 presenter Claudia Winkleman