Broadcast industry fails BME community

The UK broadcasting industry has been accused of failing to make any progress their workforce more representative of society.

A report suggests that members of the black and minority ethnic (BME) community made up just 10.4% of staff at 71 broadcasters who employ more than 20 staff.

The shocking figure is 0.6% down from the previous year and there has been no significant progress in the past five years.

The report by the Broadcast, Equality & Training Regulator (BETR) doesn't come as a surprise but the results are sure to be an embarrassment to those broadcasters who see themselves as equal opportunity employers.

Peter Block, who co-authored the final report for BETR, said that it was scandalous the industry was not more representative of the BME society, which makes up 13% of the UK.

“Most of these broadcasters are located in London, the south-east or Manchester, and in those areas, the BAME average is 20%, so the broadcasters are not representing the places they are based,” he said.

Block also pointed to the report’s findings that only 6% of senior management are of BAME origin, with 4% of executive directors and 7% of non-executive directors.

BETR has now been shut down and it's work as a regulator has been reverted to OFCOM. But Block fears that the work it has done to provide a snapshot of the industry will not be continues.

“The real challenge is that without BETR, who will encourage the implementation of the recommendations we have put before the industry?

“While this year’s report does highlight many areas of good practice, the overall approach to equality and diversity is still dominated by positive-action programmes rather than challenging the status quo.”

Picture: BBC's Clive Myrie