Woman’s Hour presenter is paid too much, says Murray
Former host ‘infuriated’ by salary of successor Emma Barnett and the rewards offered to BBC’s top talent
DAME JENNI MURRAY has criticised the £245,000 salary of her Woman’s Hour replacement, Emma Barnett, saying no presenter is worth that money.
The veteran broadcaster said it was “infuriating” to read details of the BBC pay list.
By the time she left Radio 4 last year, Dame Jenni was earning just over £100,000 as the longest-serving presenter in Woman’s man’s Hour history.
Barnett’s salary lary includes her work on BBC Two’s Newsnight wsnight and, in the 202021 period covered, ered, her previous job as host of a show w on 5 Live.
However, asked how she felt about earning less than her replacement, Dame Jenni told ld Stella magazine: “Well, that really pisses ses me off.
“I was talking ng to an old colleague the other night ht and she was saying how horrified d she is at what’s being paid now. ow. We worked so hard and had high profiles, but we didn’t earn rn anything like [that].
“It’s more than irritating. It’s infuriating, actually. tually. I don’t think, no matter how good ood they are, they are worth all that t money. It’s a public broadcasting service.”
Dame Jenni ni turns 75 – the age when the licence nce fee used to be free – in four years’ time, and said: “I’ll be hacked off when hen I still have to pay my licence fee.”
She presented ted Woman’s Hour for 33 years, latterly sharing the job with Jane Garvey, and misses the job. “Of course I do, I loved it,” she said.
But she does es not listen to the show now, which is s hosted by Barnett four days a week and Anita Rani on Fridays ays and Saturdays.
“I have long had a habit of getting up in the morning and putting the radio on and it’s always Radio 4. But I delibererately switch off just before 10 o’clock,” ck,” she said.
According to the most recent pay disclosures, Barnett earned her salary y of £240,000-£244,999 for presenting 50 editions of Woman’s Hour, 120 editions ons of the Emma Barnett Show on 5 Live, ve, and 30 Newsnight programmes. The hosts of most Radio 4 flagship hip shows earn around the £250,000 mark, ark, the rich list showed.
Sarah Montague, who fought fou for genender pay parity when the first list in 2017 017 revealed a striking imbalance, imbalanc was paid aid £245,000 in 2020-21 for 180 editions s of World at One.
Evan Davis was paid £270,000£ 00274,999 for 200 editions of PM and another Radio 4 programme, programme The Botttom Line. Martha Kearney earned £250,000-254,999 for 140 editions e of the Today programme, programme while her colleague Justin Webb earned £255,000-259,999 £255,000-259,9 for hosting 150 editions, editions reveal- ing the going rate to be over ver £1,700 per day.
Mishal Husain and Nick ick Robinson were paid pai more last year – £275,000-279,999 £275,000-2 and £270,000-274,999 £270,000-274,99 respecectively – as they also undertook ook extra work.
Not everyone is happy h with their salary. Huw Edwards Edw earns rns more than £425,000 p per year but complained in an inte interview that hat he was unhappy at being bein required red to take a pay cut. Several Sev years ars ago he was earning more than han £500,000 per year. He said: : “I don’t expect anyone to t feel sorry rry for me. But if you do get a huge uge pay cut, it’s certainly certainl going g to affect you, your psychology, psych and your attitude towards the t work. k. “Especially if you see se co-workrkers getting large pay ri rises and you don’t quite understand why.” Responding to Dame Dam Jenni’s ni’s comments, a BBC spokesman spok said: aid: “Emma’s salary for 2020-21 202 covers ers her four days a week hosting ho Womoman’s Hour, as well as Newsnight, Newsnig her former 5 Live show and other BBC work. ork. Jenni hosted Woman’s Hour Hou 2.5 days ys a week pro rata.”
‘We worked ed so hard and had high profiles but we didn’t dn’t earn anything like that. It’s infuriating’ ating’