When the BBC pay a talentless twat like Ross £6m a year to fawn over superstarts while abusing innocent parties then they're always going to be open to challenge.
Er....they don't.
Certain elements of he media have determindly presented this contract as the salary that Ross is paid each year despite the BBC clarifying the position on at least 3 occasions that I can remember. From what's been said the £6m is what is paid to Ross's production company / companies to provide the TV and radio shows that he makes for the BBC. That's obviously a bit different from that being his salary.
When getting all worked up about issues like this I think everyone needs to take a deep breath and think about who's whipping the frenzy up and why.
No fucker gave a shit about what Ross and Brand said on Manuel's answer phone for a week or so after broadcast, apart from Manuel and his family. But then the papers picked up on it and fucking madness ensued.
Similarly no-one would have given a shit, or even known, about Clarkson spouting off somewhere on the other side of the world, without the papers deciding it was a story.
And why is it a story. Are tabloid newspaper editors suddenly sensitive souls desperate to avoid giving offence to minority groups? Of course not.
The truth virtually the entire of the privately owned media detests the BBC and wants to see it destroyed. If you're all happy with a future in which all TV is of the quality churned out by ITV or dominated by constantly cycled US imports and the likes of Ibiza Uncovered on Sky then that's not a problem.
But the thought of British TV without the BBC depresses the fucking life out of me.