Birt Goes On Pay Roll At BBC

Director General of the BBC, John Birt, has now decided to join the Corporation as a member of staff after it emerged at the weekend that he had been avoiding tax on over half of his salary by being paid as a freelance consultant.

Head of Youth programmes, Janet Street Porter, has a similar financial arrangement with the BBC with money from her contract being paid to Janet Street Porter Limited. Former controller of BBC1, Jonathan Powell was also employed on a freelance basis although the BBC is now stressing that Mr Birt was the only member of management to secure such an arrangement.