Thaindian News

London, June 26 (ANI): The salaries of the BBC’s 50 top-earning managers showed that 27 of them earn more than the British Prime Minister’s 195,000 pounds salary.

The documents showed the BBC’s Director General earns a salary of 647,000 pounds per annum.

Responding to numerous inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act and general calls for greater transparency, the BBC published thousands of claims, SKY News reported.

BBC executives have claimed more than 350,000 pounds in expenses in the last five years, it has been revealed.

The claims include more than 2,000 pounds to fly director general Mark Thompson’s family home from their holiday in Italy in the wake of the Andrew Sachs row.

Thompson spent 2,236.90 pounds of licence fee payers’ money to fly his family home from a holiday in Italy when he was forced to cut the trip short as public anger grew over the lewd messages left by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the Fawlty Towers actor’s answering machine

The BBC said the Thompson family was flown economy class and the corporation’s audit committee approved the expense.

In total, Thompson, who earns 647,000 pounds a year, claimed 77,823.35 pounds in expenses over the five years - the most of any BBC executive.

They revealed executives have been spending public money on luxury hotels, vintage champagne, “thank you” dinners, parties and even a private aeroplane.

Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, who holds creative control of the corporation’s television output, claimed a total of just less than 60,000 pounds over the period.

Caroline Thomson, the BBC’s chief operating officer, said she was “comfortable” with all of the claims.

Caroline Thomson, who earns 328,000 pounds a year, claimed nearly 5,000 pounds in expenses last year.

The salaries and expenses of the BBC’s top 100 executives and decision-makers will be published, quarterly, from September, Thompson said. (ANI)