Robert Peston paid 'more than a third more' at ITV than the BBC
'Obviously the money matters but this was about challenge about getting more fun in my life and this is fun,' says Peston
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Journalist and broadcaster Robert Peston has revealed ITV pays him over a third more than the BBC.
The 55-year-old left his role of economics editor at the BBC to become the the ITV political editor following a bidding war between the two channels.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Peston explained he was being paid “nothing remotely” like the figure of £750,000 but confessed his new deal was worth “more than a third more” than his BBC pay.
“Obviously the money matters, but this was about challenge, about getting more fun in my life, and this is fun,” Peston said.
Peston made a name for himself covering the financial crisis of the late-2000s and breaking the Northern Rock upheaval in 2007.
Bidding farewell to a nine-year spell at the BBC, his new political interview programme Peston on Sunday will put him in direct competition with the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
Although ITV has seen some improvement in recent years, the ITV 10pm bulletin still garners markedly fewer viewers than the BBC’s flagship news programme. While ITV gets an average of 1.92 million viewers, the BBC amasses an average of 4.3 million.
Speaking to the Guardian about the rivalry in January, the journalist said: “Now I’m here I want [ITV] news to humiliate the BBC, get better scoops, win viewers … We are not going to be an existential threat to the BBC but we are going to give them a bloody good run for their money.”
Before being appointed as part of ITV’s revamped news cast, Preston applied to be to be controller of Radio 4 and editor of the Guardian.
The North London-born broadcaster has had a colourful career, which has seen him move from stockbroker to journalist at The Independent during its launch in 1986, making his way through many of the broadsheets, before finally going on to work at the BBC in 2005.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments