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It is fascinating how BBC media officers work.
In the growing row over the huge pay to male broadcasting stars, The Eye were told: “We aren’t confirming or denying any names. We don’t negotiate in public.”
But at the same time another internal BBC document for programme-makers took a very different approach.
It said: “Bbc press office updated statementxxx, Channel 02-42424.
“We now have an updated line for you attributable to a BBC spokesperson:
“‘We are very grateful to Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson, and Jeremy Vine, who have agreed that their pay will now be reduced.
“‘These are great journalists and presenters, who have a real connection with the audience. We are proud to have them working at the BBC.'”
Online and on television news there were even pictures to confirm this.
Nicky Campbell, Huw Edwards, Jon Sopel, Jeremy Vine, Nick Robinson and John Humphreys beamed out from TV and computer screens to stress they were taking less money.
We had wanted to know what might be the situation in Wales with highly-paid male stars, but we were confronted with a brick wall.
The requests for information at certain times yesterday from our Editor, Phil Parry, and responses from the BBC press officers (not counting the one above) were as follows:
21.59 – BBC Press Officer 1:
Our official position remains as per below (the BBC are not confirming or denying names).
20.56 – PP: I find it intriguing that you have stated TWICE you are not confirming or denying any names – yet a few hours later on the BBC 6 O’clock news you run the story with all the names confirmed. You even had pictures. Are you still ‘one BBC’?
12.43 BBC Press Officer 2:
Our official position is below and we have no more info at this stage.
We have set out what we are doing in regards to gender pay and will have more coming out on that next week.
12.40 – PP I understand that xxx, but as I stated WITHOUT confirming any names, please tell me what the situation is in Wales?!
12.37 – BBC Press Officer 3:
As stated below, we aren’t confirming or denying any names. We don’t negotiate in public.
Please use our official statement on the matter below.
12.30 – PP: Thank you very much xxxx.
Without confirming names, could you please tell me if any male presenters within BBC Wales have agreed to take a pay cut or are in negotiations about that?
Can you give me a statement about that?
12.02 – BBC Press Officer 3:
Thanks for getting in touch.
For background, we’re not confirming any names.
If you would like to include a comment from a BBC spokesperson, please use the following, ‘The BBC has agreed pay cuts with a number of leading BBC News presenters and others have agreed in principle.'”
Mr Parry was at the BBC for 23 years, 10 of them as presenter of a BBC Wales TV current affairs series which has since been axed, and in that time he became well-used to the bizarre practices of the corporation.
Yet this is one of the most extraordinary, and as we have also stated on The Eye it is difficult to trust the comments from yet another BBC press officer that the controversial singing star Aled Jones, will return to host tomorrow’s Radio Wales programme after it did not appear while an investigation was undertaken into allegations we revealed, of past ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
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