BBC still pays up to 135 execs more than PM

The BBC still has up to 135 executives paid more than prime minister David Cameron, despite cutting its senior management wage bill by nearly £10.66m.

However, the BBC's top executives slashed their expenses bills by 35% year on year in the three months to the end of September, according to new figures released by the corporation today.

Today the BBC also published for the first time the salary levels of the top 462 permanent senior managers, using £5,000 salary bands with names omitted. The figures reveal that despite a cutback in senior managers – the BBC says that the senior manager numbers have dropped 8.5% – 54 posts – and the salary bill by 13.6%– £10.66m – since October 2009. In total 135 staff are paid £140,000 or more, while Cameron receives £142,500.

The figures also show that the BBC has about 310 staff earning more than £100,000, significantly down from the 382 reported in February last year following a freedom of information request. However, despite the BBC's cutbacks this is only 13 less than the corporation reported in its annual report for the 12 months to the end of March last year.

A further breakdown of the figures showed that the BBC Journalism division, run by outgoing deputy director general Mark Byford, employees the greatest number of senior managers with 179. This represents 31.3% of senior managers employed by the BBC, a salary bill of £17m, with 40 earning more than £100,000.

Jana Bennett's BBC Vision employs 119 senior managers, 20.8% of the total, with a salary bill of £15.8m and 70 earning more than 100,000.

Tim Davie's Audio & Music division employs 35 senior managers, 6.1% of total, a salary bill of £4m. Eight earn more than £100,000.

The Future Media & Technology arm, which is to be broken up following the departure of divisional director Erik Huggers, accounts for 39 senior managers, 6.8% of the total at the BBC. FMT had a salary bill of £4.9m, with 21 executives earning more than £100,000.

Peter Salmon's BBC North accounts for 26 senior managers, 4.5% of the total. The division had a salary bill of £3.4m and 14 managers earning more than £100,000.

The operations division, which includes areas including Marketing Communications & Audiences and Lucy Adams's People operation, accounts for 110 senior managers. This division accounts for 19.2% of the total BBC wage bill, or £13.6m, with 39 managers earning more than £100,000.

The finance and business division has 20 senior managers earning more than £100,000.

The BBC's top 110 executives have dramatically cut back on expenses claims since the corporation began making the claims available 18 months ago, spending a combined £122,734 in the three months to the end of September.

Despite a new era of expenses austerity some habits die hard. Outgoing BBC Vision chief Bennett's penchant for taking cabs remains, with 50 claims over the three-month period.

She was, however, left in the dust by John Tate, director of policy and strategy, who claimed just short of £1,500 on 52 cabs in his expenses claims. Davie keeps a tight rein on his claims, but in a moment of panic was forced to resort to a £15 cab ride when he found himself "in the wrong place for a BDG meeting".

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