[Stockland Hillman]

I hope for her sake it’s not a pay dispute as it won’t come across well that she is boasting about her 6 figure salary whilst thinking she should be paid even more.

The nerve of her - a woman - asking for pay parity with people the nice middle class white fella, or the other nice middle class white fella eh?. Ffs, she has every right to seek equal pay IF that's the prime driver of her dispute.

However, its ITN, which isn't the nicest or fairest place to work by every account told to me in person - probably well into 20+ people in the last 4 years, many people who's opinions I give much weight.

That's the legally safe and fair summary of opinions.

It's a peculiar place.

bylinetimes.com 

Non-Disclosure Agreements at Media Outlets Like ITN Allow ‘Toxic Environments’ a…
ITN - which runs the news operations of Channel 4 and ITV - has been accused of …
  Source: bylinetimes.com

[Globaltraffic24]

The nerve of her - a woman - asking for pay parity with people the nice middle class white fella, or the other nice middle class white fella eh?. Ffs, she has every right to seek equal pay IF that's the prime driver of her dispute.

However, its ITN, which isn't the nicest or fairest place to work by every account told to me in person - probably well into 20+ people in the last 4 years, many people who's opinions I give much weight.

That's the legally safe and fair summary of opinions.

It's a peculiar place.

bylinetimes.com 

Indeed. This is a huge issue across the corporate world in the UK and has been for some time. Historically it’s been women and those in minority groups. Increasingly it’s now people from a ‘low socio economic’ background (basically your parents were regarded as working class) who are now rapidly promoted to make a company look like it’s doing wonderful things in the social mobility sphere, but in reality the pay gap between those in that category and traditional middle class professionals is widening. It’s shameful. Power to her if she uses this opportunity to raise some of the toxic chronic biases and work practices that are endemic in this country.

We probably need to get this back on topic so from a pres view - she’s lucky to go. For me, we’re back to 5 News slipping into a drab product only produced because it has to be. Given the owners, and their competitor/fellow US media giant’s announcements in NZ, it’s fair to speculate that the big guys are no longer fussed about making high quality, visually appealing news.

[Luc]

I had a suspicion Dan's hiring - his hiring and not him personally - was the catalyst (£500k?!). Her absence, the Popbitch report and the fact they're never on screen together was a bit of a clue.

Presumably the YouTube video is her trying to seize the narrative.

[London Lite]

I think CL was last on with Dan in December 2023?

Since the new year, 5 News has reverted to solo presenters, mainly Dan on Mon-Thurs and Tessa Chapman on Friday.

[XIII]

I had a suspicion Dan's hiring - his hiring and not him personally - was the catalyst (£500k?!). Her absence, the Popbitch report and the fact they're never on screen together was a bit of a clue.

Presumably the YouTube video is her trying to seize the narrative.

Dan's salary isn't just for 5 News, it's for other projects as well although I wonder with him taking the Classic FM gig if his other commitments for Channel 5 might be reduced.

[RhysJR]

Dan's salary isn't just for 5 News, it's for other projects as well although I wonder with him taking the Classic FM gig if his other commitments for Channel 5 might be reduced.

How much other projects has Dan ended up doing? Can't recall hearing or seeing that much.

[AaronTV]

The nerve of her - a woman - asking for pay parity with people the nice middle class white fella, or the other nice middle class white fella eh?. Ffs, she has every right to seek equal pay IF that's the prime driver of her dispute.

However, its ITN, which isn't the nicest or fairest place to work by every account told to me in person - probably well into 20+ people in the last 4 years, many people who's opinions I give much weight.

That's the legally safe and fair summary of opinions.

It's a peculiar place.

bylinetimes.com 

Not sure framing it in this way is particularly helpful if I’m honest.

With no disrespect intended to Claudia, absolutely nobody knows who she is. Dan, meanwhile, was a main presenter of the biggest breakfast program in the country and is known well for his sports coverage in addition. He was undoubtedly a good signing for Channel 5/ITN, and his salary will reflect this.

In the entertainment world particularly, your ‘stock’ has a huge level of influence over the kind of fee you can command. It is absolutely nothing to do with gender. If Claudia was as well-known as Dan, I’m sure her salary would reflect this.

[Nobby]

See also Sian Williams and Natasha Kaplinsky who are both female women and are probably in a more comparable position to Dan Walker.

[Stockland Hillman]

Not sure framing it in this way is particularly helpful if I’m honest.

With no disrespect intended to Claudia, absolutely nobody knows who she is. Dan, meanwhile, was a main presenter of the biggest breakfast program in the country and is known well for his sports coverage in addition. He was undoubtedly a good signing for Channel 5/ITN, and his salary will reflect this.

In the entertainment world particularly, your ‘stock’ has a huge level of influence over the kind of fee you can command. It is absolutely nothing to do with gender. If Claudia was as well-known as Dan, I’m sure her salary would reflect this.

Employment tribunals have formed a different view on calculation of value. It's expected - on issues of equal pay - that empirical evidence is used. So things like ratings/reach for comparable work (or even the same show) with and without the higher paid talent should be considered; obviously there are other PR, commercial or sponsorship value considerations, but they must be evidence based.

So a question for ITN/5 may be 'what is the ratings difference between shows with Host A and Host B, and what is the cost difference '
Vanity hires rarely work out, and "names" are rarely worth what their agents claim. Did BBC Breakfast ratings fall off a cliff when Walker left? No. So what value was channel 5 paying for?

[leewilliams]

How much other projects has Dan ended up doing? Can't recall hearing or seeing that much.

There’ve been quite a few projects that haven’t got much traction beyond Channel 5’s usual viewership: a series about missing people, a documentary on a missing submarine and a glamping show with Helen Skelton.

How he’s juggled those with the evening news commitment, writing a number of books and now Classic FM breakfast every weekday (which is live in Global’s studios, not voicetracked from home) is anyone’s guess.

Besides that, though, people seem to have ignored the post on the last page that Claudia insists the Mail’s equal pay story (since deleted) is incorrect:

x.com