BBC Underpaid Female TV Host, Tribunal Rules - The New York Times

The television host who took the BBC to court over unequal pay has won her case, in the first high-profile court case to be brought since the fallout over pay at the broadcaster more than two years ago.

Samira Ahmed, who was paid 440 pounds (about $565) per episode when she started hosting a program called “Newswatch,” argued before an employment tribunal that she should have been paid as much as Jeremy Vine, the host of another program, “Points of View,” who received £3,000 (about $3,850) an episode.

Both programs are about 15 minutes long and involve airing and discussing the comments of viewers. Ms. Ahmed’s program focuses on their thoughts on the news coverage. The program hosted by Mr. Vine deals with feedback on entertainment programs.

She was seeking almost £700,000 in backdated pay.

The BBC argued that Mr. Vine’s program required different skills because he was expected to be a friend to the audience in a way that Ms. Ahmed’s job does not, and so deserved to be paid more for the work he did.

The BBC has been grappling with complaints over salaries since at least 2017, when it first published the pay bands of its highest paid stars. The BBC is a public service broadcaster financed mostly by a television license fee paid by most households in the country and, as a result, often comes under criticism for the way it spends this money.

It published the salaries of its highest paid hosts in 2017 after the government made it a requirement of its governing charter, prompting an outcry over the lack of diversity in its highest ranks. This led to hundreds of pay complaints. The BBC’s former China editor, Carrie Gracie, quit in protest over not being paid as much as her male peers.

There are about 120 women considering collective action against the broadcaster over equal pay.

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January 10, 2020 at 08:39PM
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BBC Underpaid Female TV Host, Tribunal Rules - The New York Times
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