News / Society

BBC reaches out of court settlement with popular presenter Samira Ahmed

Monday, 24 February 2020 7:12 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 24 February 2020 7:12 PM ]

Samira Ahmed forced the BBC into a humiliating public climb down over gender-based unequal pay

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has suffered yet another setback after being forced to reach a settlement with a high profile presenter over equal pay.

It is being reported that popular presenter Samira Ahmad has reached a settlement with the BBC after winning her employment tribunal over equal pay.

In a further loss of face, the BBC said in a statement that it will continue to work with the “highly valued” presenter. However the Beeb refused to reveal the settlement figure, which is believed to be substantial.

The settlement follows a ruling by an employment tribunal last month that the BBC had failed to remunerate Ahmed to the same level as her peers – notably fellow presenter Jeremy Vine – on gender discrimination grounds.

Ahmed successfully argued she was underpaid by £700,000 for hosting audience feedback show Newswatch, compared with Jeremy Vine's salary for Points of View.

The Beeb’s proven gender pay gap comes on the heels of intensifying public pressure to either abolish or drastically reduce the license fee, the BBC’s financial lifeline.

Growing calls for scrapping BBC license fee

The BBC has been hit by a double blow, as two credible opinion polls show that the British public demand an end to its monopoly in the broadcasting sector.

The Sunday Times reported on February 16 that the government is “vowing” to scrap the license fee and instead make viewers pay a subscription.

Under the same plans the BBC could also be compelled to “downsize” and sell off most of its radio stations.

The Sunday Times claimed that senior aides to the prime minister are insistent they are “not bluffing” about changing the BBC’s funding model and “pruning” its reach into people’s homes.

The BBC license fee was first introduced in 1946 and its cost has steadily increased over the decades to its current value of £154.50 (for colour Televisions). Failure to pay the obligatory fee (which is essentially a form of taxation) is a criminal offence which can potentially attract a prison sentence.

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