Salaries for TV Personalities Unjustified
TV personalities are second only to premiership footballers in the salary stakes according to a YouGov poll commissioned to coincide with this year’s Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. The findings will be discussed during the To Pay Or Not To Pay session that will, among other things, debate the salaries of TV’s top executives and celebrities.
Of the 2,000 people surveyed, premiership footballers topped the poll with 93% of people saying they should earn less. Despite bankers’ salaries and bonuses being in the spotlight recently, a higher proportion of those polled think that TV personalities (80%) should earn less. The findings reveal that 74% think bankers get paid too much, 69% think TV executives’ pay packets are too big and slightly fewer people (63%) think MP’s pay cheques are too big.
As the spotlight continues to be cast on TV personality earnings, there is further bad news for BBC talk show host Jonathan Ross, with only 9% of people thinking that he is worth his wages. The same amount of people also think that The X Factor supremo Simon Cowell and Big Brother host Davina McCall deserve their high earning crowns. But the news is even worse for Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan as just 6% of people say he is worth his reported wages. This compares to stars such as QI host Stephen Fry (27%) and renowned globetrotter Michael Palin (30%) who are considered to offer better value for money by almost a third of those polled.
TV Personalities Whose Salary Is Justified
Michael Palin 30%
Stephen Fry 27%
David Dimbleby 22%
Jeremy Clarkson 21%
Jeremy Paxman 21%
Sue Barker 16%
Alan Sugar 15%
Bruce Forsyth 15%
Kirsty Young 11%
Natasha Kaplinsky 11%
Alan Carr 10%
Gordon Ramsay 10%
Jonathan Ross 9%
Davina McCall 9%
Simon Cowell 9%
Richard & Judy 7%
Piers Morgan 6%
Source: YouGov
As far as the issue of public sector pay is concerned, a resounding 82% believe the pay of TV personalities employed by the BBC should be made available for public scrutiny. A further 76% of those polled think there should be a limit on what the BBC should be able to pay its celebrities.
The contentious issue of how the BBC spends its licence fee is also continuing to be a talking point, as the majority of respondents (61%) say the public should have a good deal of control, while only 3% say they should have very little.
Editor's Note:
For more information contact Nicola Dann at Taylor Herring PR on 07932 656 685 or email nicola.dann@taylorherring.com
Notes to Editors:
The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is a delegate entry event which annually attracts over 2000 delegates from all sectors and levels of the industry. To find out more, and to register, please visit www.mgeitf.co.uk
MGEITF is a charitable organisation which supports and develops new talent from all backgrounds through its two talent schemes, The Network and Fast Track. Approximately one third of the delegate fees go towards supporting these initiatives.