View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. Broadcast Journalism
March 7, 2014updated 20 Mar 2014 6:44pm

BBC’s £320k-a-year director of TV: We’d earn double in the private sector

By Ayub Nouinou

Senior BBC staff working in the commercial sector could earn double their six-figure wages, a senior BBC executive has claimed.

The BBC’s director of television, Danny Cohen, who earns £320,000 a year, defended executive salaries as the BBC came under increased pressure for its decision to take BBC Three off the air in order to save £100 million, according to The Times.

Speaking at a fundraising event for charity World Jewish Relief, The Times reports that he said: "The executives continue to be well-paid, but if we went to commercial organisations we'd be paid roughly double.

"So we take a significant discount on what we would make if we were working in commercial organisations."The BBC has continued to dispute that that it must pay its employees much higher salaries that other publicly funded organisations as it is in constant competition with rival commercial broadcasters with massive budgets."

Earlier this week, Press Gazette reported that at least 10 editorial executives at the BBC earn more than Prime Minister David Cameron's £142,500 salary.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network