ITV stars asked to take pay cut

[Perdita]

ITV chief Michael Grade has asked the channel's stars to take a pay cut.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Grade insisted that high-earning talent such as Simon Cowell need to reduce their pay to "share the pain" following ITV's decision to axe 1,000 jobs.

Grade said ITV has to find ways to cut costs due to the economic crisis: "When there is a downturn of this severity, everybody has got to share the pain - the talent, the independent producers, the in-house producers.

"When Tesco goes through an economic downturn, it goes to its suppliers and says you have got to help us - everybody works together to get through it."

Cowell agreed a £20 million three-year contract in December 2006, while Ant and Dec are rumoured to be pocketing £15 million each in a "golden handcuffs" deal that runs until 2009.

Grade added that he doesn't fear that the proposed pay cuts would result in ITV losing talent to rival broadcasters.

He explained: "Undoubtedly, the natural trend of the talent market is down because the BBC is not that flush with money and Channel 4 is hurting. Who else is in the bidding for the big talent?"


Do you think they deserve this kind of money?

[Trinity]

No way. Nobody desaerves to be paid 278 times as much as the average wage

278 nurses
1 Simon Cowell?

[Trinity]

No way. Nobody deserves to be paid 278 times as much as the average wage

278 nurses
1 Simon Cowell?

[StarsOfCCTV]

Sack Cowell keep the rest of the staff.

I'd rather have quality drama than x factor or saturday night takeaway any day.

[Chloe O'brien]

With all the advertising and promoting the X factor does including the concerts. Simon Cowell doesn't need to be paid. I can understand actors like David Jason been paid a lot but he gives quailty whatever role he plays, but were is the quality in Ant and Dec they don't even right their own jokes. scrap half of the reality shows and bring in quality dramas and entertainment programmes.