Should the BBC break the bank to keep their biggest stars or are there better uses for licence fee?

Sep 12, 2018, 01:59 PM

BBC Director General Tony Hall has said the publication of star salaries was a factor in radio presenters Chris Evans and Eddie Mair choosing to leave. Lord Hall told a committee of MPs the pay disclosures had made it harder to retain people like that. He went on to say that the BBC have to recognise that they are not going to attract people at the kind of mega sums others in the commercial sphere might be able to pay. Evans is moving from Radio 2 to Virgin, while Mair has joined LBC from Radio 4. But should the BBC be breaking the bank to keep hold of its stars or are there better uses for the licence fee? Stephen got the views of commentators Lembit Opik and Frank Shivers.