The BBC has been ‘overgenerous and inconsistent’ in its spending on executive pay-offs, a critical report by the public spending watchdog will reveal on Monday.
The amount spent on these severance deals has escalated to tens of millions of pounds in recent years, it is understood.
According to well-placed sources, the review will question why certain rules were applied to some departing executives but not to others.
The report will take a detailed look at particular cases, some of which are well-known already, to highlight the way the broadcaster has handled the issue.
The National Audit Office decided to investigate following the controversy over the generous pay deal given to former director general George Entwistle after his resignation in the wake of the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine scandals.
He was given a pay-off of £450,000, double what he was entitled to, which rose to almost £500,000 once the cost of lawyers and other bills were added.
A source familiar with the contents of the report said: ‘[It says] it’s inconsistent and overgenerous. What rules apply to one person, don’t apply to another.’
Some executives singled-out in the report will remain unnamed, while others – expected to include Mr Entwistle – will be named, because their cases have already been discussed publicly.
Among the controversial recent pay-offs was the £670,000 given to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson and the £949,000 to former deputy director general Mark Byford. Former marketing director Sharon Baylay reportedly received £392,000.
In November members of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee compared losing a well-paid job at the BBC to ‘winning the lottery’.
The corporation was accused of ‘hosing down’ departing executives with licence fee payers’ money.
In April new director general, Lord Hall revealed he is introducing a £150,000 cap on severance pay-outs from September.
