ABC’s million dollar wage bill: Top 20 presenters earn more than $225k

THE ABC’S top 20 on-air presenters each earn more than $225,000, part of a total wage bill for the public broadcaster of $437 million.

Paul Barry, former and returned Media Watch presenter. Picture: Nowytarger Renee

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THE ABC’S top twenty on-air presenters each earn more than $225,000, part of a total wage bill for the public broadcaster of $437 million.

Melbourne radio host Jon Faine, Insiders presenter Barrie Cassidy, Q&A’s Tony Jones and 7.30 host Leigh Sales are likely among the ABC’s best-paid talent.

But the broadcaster is resisting releasing their individual salaries, despite the BBC revealing what its stars are paid for the first time this week.

7.30 Report host Leigh Sales. Picture: Supplied

The ABC was grilled about what it paid its staff by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson during a recent Senate hearing.

The broadcaster’s written answers revealed five on-air presenters were paid between $375,000 and $450,000.

Six presenters were on pay packages between $300,000 and $375,000, and a further nine earned from $225,000 to $300,000.

Ms Hanson, who has campaigned for the broadcaster’s funding to be slashed, questioned whether the salaries were “in line with community expectations”.

The ABC paid all ongoing staff a total of $437 million, with the top 20 per cent earning a combined $124 million.

The broadcaster declared that it had 33 staff overall who were paid more than $250,000, including managing director Michelle Guthrie, who earns $900,000 a year including superannuation.

Insiders presenter Barrie Cassidy. Picture: Supplied

The managing director’s salary has climbed 50 per cent in a decade but the ABC said the independent Remuneration Tribunal determined the pay range for the position.

Eight executives who report to Ms Guthrie are on packages of more than $400,000.

The revelations come after the BBC was compelled for the first time to reveal the pay packets of its top 96 stars, which totalled $47 million.

Popular presenter Chris Evans was the highest paid, earning up to $3.7 million, and about two-thirds of the British broadcaster’s leading personalities who earned more than $245,000 were men.

An ABC spokesman told the Herald Sun that the broadcaster would not reveal any individual’s employment details or salary.

“The ABC’s own gender pay gap analysis shows there is no pay gap that is unfavourable to women at any level,” the spokesman said.

In its response to questions raised in the Senate, the ABC said 132 new positions had been created so far this year.

But 156 jobs were abolished and 89 people were retrenched, incurring a redundancy bill of $9.3 million.

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WHAT THE ABC PAYS

Managing director Michelle Guthrie: $900,000

Top five on-air presenters: $375,000-$450,000

Eight other executives: More than $400,000

All staff: $437 million

Originally published as ABC’s million dollar wage bill: Top 20 presenters earn more than $225k