BBC pay gap: Good news on gender equality from the national broadcaster

Auntie leads the industry – and the nation – on gender pay gap

Claudia Winkleman is in the top 10 of the BBC’s highest earners (Mike Marsland)

Much has, rightly, been made of the BBC’s seven best-paid stars being all men, as revealed in its latest annual report. But, if you are not aiming for total stardom, it turns out the broadcaster is actually not a bad place to work as a woman.

That’s because the BBC’s median gender pay gap stands at 6.7 per cent. That is worse than zero but better than the national number and better than the gaps at the corporation’s nearest television rivals – ITV and Channel 4.

Judging the precise extent of the BBC’s lead is a little trickier. The Office for National Statistics put the median gender pay gap at 17.9 per cent – but that was back in October, with no indication of when the next update will be released.