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BBC management agree to no bonuses

By Paul McNally

BBC management have agreed to waive their right to a bonus next year in response to the financial pressures facing the corporation.

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said he had also been informed that BBC director general Mark Thompson would, as in previous years, also be waiving his entitlement.

Speaking at a press conference in London this morning, Lyons said: ‘The BBC is not immune to the financial pressures facing all industries and all licence fee payers.”

He said the Trust had asked the BBC renumeration committee to look ‘very hard’at whether it would be appropriate to pay any bonuses in 2009.

Lyons added: ‘I have now been informed that given the financial environment, all of those executive directors have agreed to waive their entitlement to any bonus.”

In the 2007/08 financial year, nine of the executives sitting on the BBC board took bonuses totalling £318,000.

Directors are entitled to a payment of up to 10 per cent on top of their salary if they meet targets.

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BBC director of vision Jana Bennett received a £23,000 bonus, with outgoing director of audio and music Jenny Abramsky taking home an extra £19,000.

Deputy director general Mark Byford received £41,000 and former director of future media and technology Ashley Highfield was paid a £34,000 bonus.

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