Gambaccini slams 'preposterous' BBC pay

Veteran broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has criticised the BBC for paying "preposterous" salaries and sidelining high quality programming in its schedule.

Speaking to media website Beehive City, Gambaccini claimed that the corporation has become obsessed with attracting younger audiences at the expense of more "highbrow" content.

The 61-year-old presenter has worked at the BBC since 1973, including stints at Radio 1, Radio 3, Radio 4 and, most recently, Radio 2.

However, he will soon become the face of new digital channel Vintage TV, which will launch on Sky and Freesat on September 1 aimed at the over-50 audience.

According to BBC figures, the corporation has at least 85 senior managers earning more than Prime Minister David Cameron's £142,500 annual salary.

BBC director general Mark Thompson is paid a basic salary of £664,000, but he earned a total pay package of £838,000 last year.

Gambaccini believes that the BBC has let its own core values become distorted by the influence of the commercial broadcasting market.

"This has been recognised in the BBC executive pool, which for the past 15 years has consisted predominantly of people who have transferred from the commercial sector or gone back and forth," he said.

"That has created this preposterous pay structure where so many people earn more than the prime minister.

"The last three director-generals have come from the commercial sector. They are not necessarily steeped in BBC values.

"I am not here to go head-to-head with Mark Thompson, but find me any opportunity and I'm happy to do so."

Gambaccini also claimed that the quality of programming on BBC TV channels has lessened as more "highbrow" content is increasingly marginalised.

"BBC Four broadcast a Stephen Fry weekend in which he was invited to pick his favourite programmes," he said.

"But the one they didn't show, that they said you had to watch on the internet, was [1973 documentary series] The Ascent of Man.

"It's one of the greatest programmes ever made, but they thought it was too highbrow for transmission. That shows you how far down BBC television has gone."

Earlier in the month, the BBC Trust ordered BBC One to take more creative risks in its commissioning. It also confirmed plans to develop a clearer remit for BBC Four.

Speaking about his move to Vintage TV, Gambaccini said: "The over-50s remember programmes of a particular vintage, like Whistle Test and Monty Python.

"They are looking for programmes of the same quality - not because they are older viewers but because they were better programmes."