Manx Radio paid its staff and freelancers a total of £1.3m in the last financial year, a Freedom of Information response reveals.

The state-funded broadcaster had initially refused to divulge details of staff numbers and remuneration – but was ordered to do so by the Information Commissioner.

Its delayed response reveals that the station employed 33 people at Broadcasting House, including four non-executive directors as at September 1 last year.

In addition there were 35 people contracted to undertake self-employed freelance work.

There were 10 permanent employees in the news department and five self-employed contractors who may provide news services.

Total remuneration paid to all employees and self-employed contractors in the 2021-22 financial year was £1,387,141.

The total remuneration for all those who contributed to the newsroom in that year was £420,627, which included the cost of general election coverage.

Manx Radio’s government subvention was increased in this year’s Budget from the current £1.090m to £1.123m for 2023-24.

The FoI request was submitted by island advocate Ian Kermode.

Radio Manx Limited, which runs Manx Radio, initially refused to give out details of staff numbers and pay, claiming this related directly to its journalistic output and creative activities and as such fell outside the scope of the FoI Act.

After an investigation, the Information Commissioner found that Manx Radio did hold the information ‘for purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature’.

He concluded that Radio Manx Limited was not justified, therefore, in refusing to give the information requested.

Manx Radio was given 30 days to provide Mr Kermode with the information requested.