How much should a BBC DJ earn?

[Happ Hazzard]

Do breakfast hosts on regional BBC stations really earn £100,000 a year? In London I can see it, but on Radio Sheffield and other similar sized stations?

[not wanted]

Perhaps he misunderstood that listeners were tuning in to hear his sage words of wisdom and not those of his co hosts, without him or someone of his ability there would be no show.

 

I wasn't knocking him, just showing the disparity of pay between the "name" and the co hosts.

[Hots on]

'What's a Grecian urn?' 'About three drachmas a week!'

[Susil]

So...my question is this..how much do you think these DJs should be paid for working a 4 hour day??

 

Can we infer that it's BBC WM she's at?

 

Are you able to provide a few more specifics on the job your daughter is doing? I've dealt with local BBC radio programing a lot over the last few months and it usually seems that most programmes have a presenter and a producer, but that the roles overlap a lot. The presenters are in for plenty more hours than they're on air it seems. The point is that the staff always seem to have to be able to fill all sorts of roles, on and off the air, so the boundaries aren't very clear cut.

 

That being said, the pay you suggested doesn't seem like much for the worrk involved.

[Happ Hazzard]

Salaries for presenters in the radio industry in this country are artificially inflated by the BBC. How much were they paying Chris Moyles? He can't even get arrested now.

[ECCOnoob]

My daughter has recently qualified and started as a freelance Broadcast Journalist at radio stations in the Midlands.

 

I was gobsmacked to find out she gets paid £80 a shift working long days often with no break, no guarantee of work, no sick/holiday pay etc.

 

This is after the thousands she's spent on university and a masters (no radio station will look at you without these days) Now I know times are hard and work is hard to come by, she says the competition for work is brutal, and I could accept this much better if the situation was the same across the board but no...Apparently the DJs are a whole different kettle of fish

 

She said they are classed as "talent" and a Breakfast host would be earning something like 100k a year what's more, they just rock up and leave pretty much after the show, leaving people like my daughter to create the content for the next day's programme!

 

So...my question is this..how much do you think these DJs should be paid for working a 4 hour day??

 

As a freelance presumably she is self employed and not bound to any fixed work / hours or contract. She will make herself available as and when and similarly the BBC will or wont provide work as and when.

 

That's the nature of such roles.

 

As oppose to say as a lead presenter who will be bounded to produce and/or host so many hours of programming for a fixed salary or amount. Those lead roles are often far more than just "turning up and doing the show" many of them have very heavy involvement in production, writing and editorial control over their shows.

 

With regards the value of talent that is a completely open ended bracket - as others have said it will be useful to know exaclty what role she has before anyone can assess whether £80 a "shift" is deemed low or not.

 

Many self employed people may earn as little as that for a full working day and wrongly as it maybe - you will never be able to compare production staff to a key talent or presenter. After all its their name/face which is a draw to a production.

 

As others have said, if we are talking local radio here I too would be very surprised to learn that that level of "Talent" would be into a six figure salaries. Whilst I am sure the high profile presenters get their obscence figures as splashed all over the foamy mouthed media - there will be waves of local bbc and local independant presenters getting nothing like.

 

A quick glance at the internet (albeit unverified) shows that some local radio presenters may earn between £100 - £150 per show with others on salaries earning anything from as little as £14000 per year up to the more impressive £100,000.

[Super Hans]

I suppose it depends, if you're a talk host and have to fill those 4 hours a shift saying stuff that people want to listen to, that sounds like a very hard job to me.

 

But if you're just whacking on a record and pushing the faders up and down all day then I don't see why that should deserve a load of money. You know, anyone could do that and there are loads of people who are willing.

 

I don't quite know why you are complaining that someone who has started a brand new career in the industry is getting paid a lot less than people who have established their careers over many years, to me that goes without saying.

[ECCOnoob]

I suppose it depends, if you're a talk host and have to fill those 4 hours a shift saying stuff that people want to listen to, that to me sounds like a very hard job to me.

 

But if you're just whacking on a record and pushing the faders up and down all day then I don't see why that should deserve a load of money. You know, anyone could do that and there are loads of people who are willing.

 

I don't quite know why you are complaining that someone who has started a brand new career in the industry is getting paid a lot less than people who have established their careers over many years, to me that goes without saying.

 

I agree. 4 hours of live broadcast, keeping it interesting, on a strict time limit with a producer sqwarking in your ear all the time I imagine must be extremely difficult.

 

F1 host Jake Humphrey did a very interesting blog where he played the tape of what he has going off in his ear during a live show. Whilst not quite the same as a DJ on radio - it certainly gives an idea of what happens.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2009/07/an_earpiece_of_the_action.html

 

Its definately a skill. I doubt I would be able to my job if I had that in my ear all the time.

[Super Hans]

I agree. 4 hours of live broadcast, keeping it interesting, on a strict time limit with a producer sqwarking in your ear all the time I imagine must be extremely difficult.

 

F1 host Jake Humphrey did a very interesting blog where he played the tape of what he has going off in his ear during a live show. Whilst not quite the same as a DJ on radio - it certainly gives an idea of what happens.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2009/07/an_earpiece_of_the_action.html

 

Its definately a skill. I doubt I would be able to my job if I had that in my ear all the time.

 

That is an interesting clip it sounds like total chaos at some points.

[buddysbuddy]

My daughter has recently qualified and started as a freelance Broadcast Journalist at radio stations in the Midlands.

 

I was gobsmacked to find out she gets paid £80 a shift working long days often with no break, no guarantee of work, no sick/holiday pay etc.

 

This is after the thousands she's spent on university and a masters (no radio station will look at you without these days) Now I know times are hard and work is hard to come by, she says the competition for work is brutal, and I could accept this much better if the situation was the same across the board but no...Apparently the DJs are a whole different kettle of fish

 

She said they are classed as "talent" and a Breakfast host would be earning something like 100k a year what's more, they just rock up and leave pretty much after the show, leaving people like my daughter to create the content for the next day's programme!

 

So...my question is this..how much do you think these DJs should be paid for working a 4 hour day??

 

you have posed 2 questions. no.1 how much should they earn?--- as much as they can. no.2 how much should they be paid? -- in some cases not a lot. I have always maintained that there is a difference between what someone is paid and what someone earns!