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BBC cuts top talent spend

The BBC has revealed it has slashed its spending on talent earning more than £500,000 (US$670,000) a year.

Chris Evans is said to be the BBC's top earner

Chris Evans is said to be the BBC’s top earner

Around £2.3m has been saved by the cash-strapped UK pubcaster according to figures released by the corporation, with only seven people earning between £500,000 and £5m over the past year.

That is down from nine in 2014 and comes in the wake of the high-profile exit of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, meaning the BBC spent £6.6m on its best-paid stars, down from £8.9m the year before.

BBC radio host Chris Evans, who also took on Clarkson’s presenting role at the revamped version of Top Gear, is now thought to be the broadcaster’s top earner, although no names have been attached to the figures.

Total talent spend in 2015/16 stood at just over £200m, down from £208.5m the year before, while those earning between £250,000 and £500,000 rose from 34 to 38.

BBC director general Tony Hall said the figures proved the organisation was cutting its pay to talent, something the pubcaster had been attacked for as it negotiates the renewal of its royal charter.

There have also been calls for it to name its top earners, but Hall told the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that such a move would enable commercial rivals to poach its stars.

The BBC’s director of strategy has also said the pubcaster will decide by October whether to introduce a system that would see licence fee payers given a password to log into ondemand service iPlayer.

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