The names of the BBC’s top-earning stars should be made public where possible, according to the chairman of the BBC Trust.
Outlining plans to slash pay, Sir Michael Lyons called for greater transparency and said every pound the BBC takes from licence fee-payers must be shown to have been spent well.
But Lyons, who is also BBC chairman, said that did not mean the salaries of individuals would be made public, Press Association has reported.
In a speech to a Voice of the Listener and Viewer seminar in London, Lyons said the number of people in each of the top pay bands should be made public but not who those individuals were.
He said narrower pay bands recommended by the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee should be used to give a better idea of how many people earned higher salaries.
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“This will significantly increase the degree of transparency in this area,” he said. “The information will generally be presented in aggregate – that is, anonymously. However, I do believe we should release the names of those who receive the biggest incomes from the BBC.”
Last November, the BBC published the salary and expenses details of more than 100 managers, including its top HR directors.
