Samira Ahmed doesn’t deserve equal pay to Jeremy Vine, says BBC

BBC says it is fair that Samira Ahmed gets £440 to present Newswatch while Jeremy Vine gets £3,000 for Points of View show because it is a much bigger programme

  • Samira Ahmed has taken BBC to a high-profile employment tribunal over pay
  • She claims it is unfair that she is paid a fraction of what Jeremy Vine took home
  • But BBC says her show is not as big as Vine’s and requires fewer skills to host 

BBC presenter Samira Ahmed didn’t deserve equal pay with Jeremy Vine because her show isn’t as big a hit with viewers as his Points of View programme, the corporation claims.

Ms Ahmed, who fronts Newswatch, has taken the BBC to an employment tribunal, claiming that she was paid ‘a sixth’ of what Vine earned while he was presenting Points Of View.

But the BBC argues that Points Of View is an entertainment programme, while Newswatch is a news show – requiring different skills and experience.

Vine was paid £3,000 per episode for presenting the BBC One show between 2008 and 2018, which the broadcaster’s legal team describes as ‘extremely well-known’.

In comparison, Ms Ahmed says she was paid £440 per episode for Newswatch – an audience-led critique of BBC News coverage.

Samira Ahmed didn't deserve equal pay to Jeremy Vine (pictured) because her job didn't require as much skill as his, the BBC has claimed

Samira Ahmed didn’t deserve equal pay to Jeremy Vine (right) because her job didn’t require as much skill as his, the BBC has claimed

When broadcast on the BBC News channel it receives around 100,000 viewers, according to the broadcaster.

Her programme is repeated on BBC Breakfast on Saturday, but the BBC’s legal team claims it has ‘no discernible impact’ on viewing figures.

The BBC’s legal team says that Ms Ahmed was paid the same as her predecessor Ray Snoddy, who they refer to as her pay comparator, as opposed to Vine.

In the opening submissions, BBC lawyer Rachel Crasnow QC, told the tribunal that Newswatch requires a trained journalist, whereas Points Of View’s presenter should be an ‘audience’s friend’.

Vine fronted the long-running factual programme Points Of View until last year. It has since dropped its presenter-led format, and the 15-minute show is now narrated by Tina Daheley.

Ms Ahmed is due to give evidence at the Central London Employment Tribunal hearing this afternoon.

Ms Ahmed has taken the BBC to an employment tribunal and has been backed by fellow stars, including the Reverend Richard Coles and Katie Puckrick, former presenter of The Word

Ms Ahmed has taken the BBC to an employment tribunal and has been backed by fellow stars, including the Reverend Richard Coles and Katie Puckrick, former presenter of The Word

She has received support from a number of fellow BBC presenters, including Radio 4 Woman’s Hour’s Jane Garvey and Richard Coles, who joined her as she walked into the building on Wednesday.

In a statement on Sunday evening, Ms Ahmed said: ‘I love my job on Newswatch despite it being difficult and challenging.

‘On the back of my BBC ID card are written the BBC values which include ‘we respect each other and celebrate our diversity’ and ‘we take pride in delivering quality and value for money’.

‘I just ask why the BBC thinks I am worth only a sixth of the value of the work of a man for doing a very similar job.’

The presenter previously secured an agreement with the BBC to receive full backdated pay with her male counterparts for her work on Radio 4’s Front Row and Night Waves on Radio 3.

Ms Ahmed presents Newswatch, in which viewers can complain about BBC reporting

Ms Ahmed presents Newswatch, in which viewers can complain about BBC reporting

In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: ‘The BBC is committed to equal pay. Points Of View is an entertainment programme with a long history and is a household name with the public. Newswatch – while an important programme – isn’t.

‘Samira was paid the same as her male predecessor when she began presenting Newswatch.

‘Gender has not been a factor in levels of pay for Points Of View. News and entertainment are very different markets and pay across the media industry reflects this.’

A statement from BBC Women said: ‘We know that this is a case Samira did not want to bring. BBC managers had every opportunity to pay her equally for equal work in line with the law. We stand with Samira as she stands with so many of us facing similar battles.’

 

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