Tom Hunt hits out at BBC for 'casting judgement' on UK culture

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Tory MP Tom Hunt has hit out at BBC for costing Brits £159 to be told what to watch. Speaking to talkRADIO, Mr Hunt said: “It is interesting with Tim Davie because just recently, myself and a few other Tory MPs wrote to him about the censorship decision that was made by the BBC leadership to take a series of vintage comedies off the iPlayer platform. One of which was Little Britain that was removed.

“I wrote a letter with some colleagues to Tim Davie asking for a rationale for why this was and in fact if he was so confident, why not put Little Britain back on? Of course he wasn’t prepared to do this at all.

“I think this is another example of the BBC casting a value judgement on what is ok and not ok to find funny and if you find Little Britain funny then there’s something wrong with you.

“The fact that Little Britain had us all laughing at each other, it was British humour but the director-general thinks there’s something wrong with us for finding it funny.

“He’s going to use our taxpayers money to cast a value judgement on me and you.”

It comes as sports presenter Gary Lineker is still the BBC’s highest earning on-air talent, despite last year agreeing to a pay reduction of around £400,000.

Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster’s second highest paid talent after requesting a pay cut when agreeing a new two-year deal as Radio 2’s breakfast host.

The corporation’s annual report for 2020/21 shows it has slashed 10% from its pay bill for top talent, after some of its biggest names agreed to salary cuts or quit.

It was announced last year that Match Of The Day host Lineker had taken a pay cut, which reduced his pay from £1.75 million to £1.36 million.

BBC licence fee 'no longer fit for purpose' says expert

The 60-year-old first topped the list for 2017-18 with a pay bracket of £1,750,000 and £1,759,999.

Meanwhile, Ball asked to reduce her pay by 28% to £980,000 to reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

This figure is lower than is listed in the 2020/21 annual report, which shows her earnings to be in the bracket of £1,130,000-£1,134,999 and which represents only a few months of Ball’s new salary deal – including the reduction the presenter requested.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “Zoe Ball is a world-class broadcaster hosting Radio 2’s flagship show and her professionalism and commitment to the Breakfast Show is extraordinary.

DON’T MISS

TV licence warning: BBC ‘tightens screw’ -elderly Britons ‘threatened’ [INSIGHT]
Anjem Choudary complains as he can’t get his family on days out [ANALYSIS]
BBC backlash: Andrew Marr admits broadcaster under huge pressure [VIDEO]

“She’s hugely talented and has made the show her own, with many millions of listeners tuning in each morning to the nation’s most listened to Breakfast Show.”

Speaking during the launch of the report, BBC director-general Tim Davie said discussions with top on-air talent over reducing their pay packets had been “mutual and constructive”.

“I am not going to give information on the specifics of the conversations,” he said.

“All I would say is I think everyone recognises the strategy, which is getting value to audiences and, without being funny, most conversations are mutual and constructive.”

Source: Read Full Article