BBC's top earners share a £54m pot

The figure accounts for 1.55 per cent of the 3.6bn annual licence fee income and is paid to artists, presenters, musicians and other contributors earning 150,000 and more.

A total of 115m was spent on those earning up to 50,000, 44m on those earning between 50,000 and 100,000 and 16m on the 100,000 to 150,000 bracket.

The BBC is not releasing details of individual salaries, but top-earners are reported to include Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Bruce.

The BBC, which came under fire for Ross's 6m-a-year deal, pays presenters, actors and other talent on its TV and radio programmes a total of 229m a year.

The amount being paid by the BBC, which also released the businesses expenses of 107 of its most senior staff yesterday, will now be published every year in the annual report. A total of 188,000 was claimed in overall expenses by 107 of the BBC's most senior staff between July and September 2009, a monthly average per executive of 586.

For the first time, the BBC also published a register of the gifts and hospitality received by senior managers.

Director-general Mark Thompson attended Glyndebourne, the Wimbledon Ladies Final, the Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Box at Ascot with his wife last year.

He also attended the British Grand Prix with his son.

Mr Thompson, who earns 664,000 a year, has claims ranging from 57p for a parking meter to 5,616 spent through the BBC's central bookings system for a flight to Seoul.

Deputy director-general Mark Byford also attended Wimbledon but donated 120 to charity after he and his wife were invited to the Womad music festival by Peter Gabriel.

The expenses of Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, include 38.48 for a "sympathy gift for a key presenter" and 1,254 on six nights at Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles for meetings with co-producers and studio heads.

She spent 2,392 on taxis through the BBC central bookings service.

Eric Huggers, director of future media and technology, spent 7,514.80 on a flight to Seoul last year.