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Some of the BBC's most high-profile female personalities have signed an open letter calling on the broadcaster to "act now" to address a gender pay gap that sees its top male star earn five times more than its best-paid female presenter.
The salary disparity came to light after the publicly funded broadcaster was forced to publish the salary range of its best-paid actors and presenters.
Presenters Clare Balding, Victoria Derbyshire and Emily Maitlis are among more than 40 women who have signed the letter to director general Tony Hall.
"You have said that you will 'sort' the gender pay gap by 2020, but the BBC has known about the pay disparity for years," the letter said.
"We all want to go on the record to call upon you to act now."
Balding, one of BBC's most accomplished TV journalists, said in a pointed tweet that a 2020 target for equal pay was not good enough, since the Equal Pay Act was enacted in 1970 and the Equality Act in 2010.
"We're standing together to politely suggest they can do better," she said.
The women said they are taking action now so "future generations" of BBC women will not face discrimination.
"This is an opportunity for those of us with strong and loud voices to use them on behalf of all, and for an organisation that had to be pushed into transparency to do the right thing," the letter said.
"We would be willing to meet you to discuss ways in which you can correct this disparity so that future generations of women do not face this kind of discrimination."
When the salary list was published, Hall said the broadcaster needed to move more quickly on issues of gender and diversity.
He has not yet responded to the letter calling for immediate remedies for female employees.
The BBC had not wanted to disclose the salary list, saying it would make it easier for rival broadcasters to poach talent.
The list showed the BBC pays 96 on-air personalities at least 150,000 pounds ($246,000) a year, meaning most earn more than the Prime Minister, who earns 150,000 pounds.
The broadcaster's best-paid star, radio host Chris Evans, earns more than 2.2 million pounds ($3.6 million).
Two-thirds of the top earners are men, and the highest-paid woman — Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman — earns less than a quarter of Evans' salary.
Many BBC men were found to be receiving far higher salaries than women in comparable jobs.
Dear Tony,
The pay details released in the Annual report showed what many of us have suspected for many years... that women at the BBC are being paid less than men for the same work.
Compared to many women and men, we are very well compensated and fortunate. However, this is an age of equality and the BBC is an organisation that prides itself on its values.
You have said that you will "sort" the gender pay gap by 2020, but the BBC has known about the pay disparity for years. We all want to go on the record to call upon you to act now.
Beyond the list, there are so many other areas including production, engineering and support services and global, regional and local media where a pay gap has languished for too long.
This is an opportunity for those of us with strong and loud voices to use them on behalf of all, and for an organisation that had to be pushed into transparency to do the right thing.
We would be willing to meet you to discuss ways in which you can correct this disparity so that future generations of women do not face this kind of discrimination.
Yours sincerely,
Aasmah Mir
Katya Adler
Anita Anand
Wendy Austin
Samira Ahmed
Clare Balding
Emma Barnett
Zeinab Badawi
Sue Barker
Rachel Burden
Annabel Croft
Martine Croxall
Victoria Derbyshire
Lyse Doucet
Jane Garvey
Joanna Gosling
Fi Glover
Carrie Gracie
Orla Guerin
Karin Giannone
Mishal Husain
Lucy Hockings
Geeta Guru-murthy
Kirsty Lang
Gabby Logan
Martha Kearney
Carolyn Quinn
Kasia Madera
Katty Kay
Emily Maitlis
Louise Minchin
Sarah Montague
Jenni Murray
Annita Mc Veigh
Elaine Paige
Sally Nugent
Angela Rippon
Ritula Shah
Sarah Smith
Kate Silverton
Charlotte Smith
Kirsty Wark
Fiona Bruce
Alex Jones
AP/Reuters
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