MPs slam BBC for silence over stars' pay

By Stefano Ambrogi

LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC has been attacked by a committee of MPs for refusing to disclose exactly how much of the public's money it is spending on wages for its top radio presenters.

The Public Accounts Committee said on Thursday the National Audit Office (NAO), which has a right to scrutinise pay in any government department, has been blocked from seeing individual salaries.

The corporation, which is funded with over £3 billion of public money each year, says it will only let the NAO see a breakdown if it signs a non-disclosure agreement.

Documents leaked to newspapers three years ago revealed Radio 2's Terry Wogan was on £800,000 a year; Chris Evans £240,000 and Radio 1's Chris Moyles on £630,000 a year to present his breakfast show.

Last year, leaked details showed top chat-show host Jonathan Ross was paid £18 million for a three-year deal.

The BBC Trust said it keeps salary details confidential because it has "legal obligations to staff" and that disclosure would raise questions over data protection and privacy laws.

Committee Chairman Edward Leigh slammed the BBC's reasoning for the secrecy as a "complete canard."

"The reason why they give this excuse is because they have fought again and again to prevent parliament, the NAO, the Public Accounts Committee getting full statutory access to the BBC," he told BBC Radio.