Presenters known to have been targeted by the BBC with redundancy letters in a money-saving drive earn up to £1.7million between them.
Some of the corporations most famous names have been hit with the requests to consider voluntarily ending their careers.
So far big-hitters Huw Edwards, Reeta Chakrabarti, Clive Myrie and Sophie Raworth are said to have been sent the letters.
Their radio colleagues Nick Robinson and Justin Webb, who host the station’s flagship Today programme, have also received them.
Figures published previously by the BBC showed the six named presenters currently earn up to £1,722,996 between them.
The BBC has sent redundancy letters to some of its presenters, including Huw Edwards (pictured)
Its 2022 annual list of highest paid stars – which shows amounts in bands, not exact pay – showed Mr Edwards, who presents both the six o’clock and ten o’clock bulletins on between £410,000 and £414,000.
Ms Raworth got £305,000 to £309,999, while Mr Myrie was in the £255,000 and £259,000 bracket.
Elsewhere the list said Ms Chakrabarti was on between £200,000 and £204,999.
Radio stars Nick Robinson and Justin Webb were on £270,000 to £274,999 and £255,000 to £259,999 respectively.
There are other journalists or news presenters who are paid big salaries who are not yet known to have received the letters.
They include Stephen Nolan, who is paid between £415,000 and £419,999, Fiona Bruce, who gets £410,000 to £414,999 and Amol Rajan who is on £325,000 to £329,999.
Reeta Chakrabarti (pictured) is also among those who have received redundancy letters
The Mail on Sunday understands that the letter from Philippa Busby, the interim managing editor of news and current affairs has been sent to presenters such as Sophie Raworth (pictured)
Naga Munchetty is paid between £365,000 and £369,999, while George Alagiah received between £325,000 and £329,999.
Mishal Husain’s salary is listed as being from £275,000 to £279,999 and Laura Kuenssberg in 2022 got £260,000 to £264,999.
Martha Kearney is on from £255,000 to £259,999, Kirsty Wark £245,000 to £249,999 and Victoria Derbyshire between £240,000 and £244,999.
Economics editor Faisal Islam received £240,000 to £244,999, while Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen got from £230,000 to £234,999.
The voluntary redundancy letter is understood to have come from Philippa Busby, the interim managing editor of news and current affairs.
They have been linked to cost-cutting measures announced by Director-General Tim Davie last year.
As part of these plans, the Corporation has already merged the BBC News channel and its international counterpart BBC World News to create a new, more digitally focused channel.
As part of that move, broadcasters were invited to compete for a handful of chief presenting roles. Ten senior jobs were axed, with high-profile stars including Joanna Gosling choosing to quit.
Ms Busby’s letter – a copy of which has been seen by The Mail on Sunday – states: ‘As you will be aware, in 2022 we announced a number of changes across BBC News which have meant that some colleagues have been placed at risk of redundancy, including some colleagues in presenter roles.’
The letter, which was sent out at the beginning of this month, asks staff who ‘would like to consider potentially leaving the BBC under voluntary redundancy’ to arrange a meeting with senior HR executive Tim Burden.
A source in the newsroom, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The email is addressed to all senior news presenters and presenters on the band immediately below. Everyone got it on the same day.
‘Senior figures in TV news, including Huw Edwards, Sophie Raworth, Clive Myrie and Reeta Chakrabarti, have received the letter. It’s also been sent to the main presenters on Radio 4’s Today programme.’
The BBC, which hopes to avoid having to make compulsory redundancies, gave the presenters until last Friday to register their interest. Insiders say that it is uncertain if anyone has volunteered, not least because BBC redundancy payments are capped at £150,000.
Such a sum is unlikely to appeal to some of its highest-paid employees. Figures published by the Corporation last year show that Mr Edwards, who presents both the six o’clock and ten o’clock bulletins, earned between £410,000 and £414,000, although that represented a cut on the previous year.
The same figures showed that Ms Raworth was on between £305,000 and £309,999, and Mr Myrie on between £255,000 and £259,000.
One insider, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Busby’s email has a link to terms and conditions which includes the rule about redundancy payments being capped at £150,000.
‘For most people that is a considerable amount of money. But if you are in your early 50s and you are earning that each year – which most of these presenters are – it’s not such an attractive proposition.
‘That is particularly the case when the prospect of finding employment in the same sort of place is really difficult. Where would these people go?’
Mr Edwards, 61, received the letter despite recently signing a new three-year deal. Prior to this, there had been speculation he was planning to leave the BBC. No one within BBC News expects him to accept voluntary redundancy.
One BBC journalist, who also asked not to be named, described the redundancy letters as ‘depressing’ and said they added to the general atmosphere of ‘chaos’. Linking the letters to the reorganisation of the news channels, the source added: ‘No one knows if the new channel will last a month or a year.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘This isn’t about any new job cuts – it’s a standard HR exercise relating to savings we’ve announced previously – and it’s not targeting any individuals; we have to send it to everyone who’s at the same grade. We’re looking for expressions of interest in redundancy, not offering it, and it’s not the case that any or everyone who came forward would be accepted.’
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