BBC women demand action on gender pay gap now, not in future

British TV presenter Clare Balding. AFP FILE PHOTO

LONDON — Prominent women at the BBC want the broadcaster’s gender pay gap to be resolved now rather than in several years.

TV personalities including Clare Balding, Victoria Derbyshire and others wrote in an open letter Sunday to the BBC’s top manager that plans to resolve the company’s gender pay gap must be accelerated. Documents made public last week showed that male BBC TV and radio personalities make substantially more than their female counterparts.

The open letter says the documents confirmed a long-held suspicion that “women at the BBC are being paid less than men for the same work.” It urged BBC Director-General Tony Hall to fix the disparity “now” rather than in 2020, as has been suggested.

The women said they are taking action so “future generations” of BBC women won’t face discrimination.