The broadcaster spent £54m on presenters earning £150,000 or more in the 12 months to the end of March 2009. This accounts for 1.55 per cent of the total BBC licence fee income during that year, and the names include Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce and Graham Norton.

About £115m or 3.29 per cent of the licence fee income was paid to individuals earning less than £50,000 from BBC work. Another £44m was paid to those earning between £50,000 and £100,000m, and £16m was paid to those getting between £100,000 and £150,000m.

The BBC has for the first time revealed the overall talent costs by salary band, along with the quarterly survey of salaries and expenses paid to more than 100 top executives.

The corporation will also reveal the gifts and hospitality enjoyed by senior BBC executives, who claimed £188,285 in the July-September quarter, compared to £174,650 in the previous quarter.