- The journalist used to earn over KSh 245 million per year before taking a 23% salary cut
- After the pay cut, an equivalent of KSh 56 million Lineker will remain with a salary of KSh 189 million a year
- This leaves him with KSh 15 million monthly salary which could comfortably pay 197 Kenyan journalists earning KSh 80,000 a month
As journalists from many parts of the world and Kenya continue to struggle to make ends meets with meagre salaries a situation that was worsened with pay cuts due to COVID-19 effects, the scenario is totally different in the UK.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has been earning KSh 245,670,094 per year in the financial year 2019/2020.
The personality who renewed his contract at BBC for a solid five years between 2021 and 2015 has faced a 23% salary cut but that still looks insignificant especially fro journalists in third world and developing countries.
The salary cut of 23% is equivalent to a reduction of KSh 56,158,563 from Linekers annual salary.
The downward review of his salary leaves him with KSh 189,511, 531 per year or KSh 15,792, 627 a month.
This amount could pay 197 Permanent and Pensionable journalists earning KSh 80,000 in Kenya.
Most correspondents in Kenya depend on a retainer of between KSh 10,000 and KSh 25,000 basing on one’s location.
This means journalists must do as many articles and reports as possible to earn twice their retainer which hardly happens.
During the signing of his contract, Lineker took a swipe at his haters with a cynical tweet.
The new development on Lineker’s salary means he could be ousted from the throne as BBC’s top earning journalist.
Zoe Ball, a presenter at The Radio 2 on the other hand has seen her salary increase by KSh 140,475,760 since she took over the breakfast show in 2019.