One in six of all on-screen BBC roles must go to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or disabled people by 2020, the corporation’s new diversity targets state.
In a bid to deter criticism that it has been failing to reflect its audience, the BBC has pledged that LGBT and disabled people will each make up eight per cent of all on-air and on-screen roles.
The new targets follow a heated debate in the House of Commons led by David Lammy MP on the issue of the broadcaster’s diversity.
The BBC’s new diversity targets follow a debate in the House of Commons led by David Lammy MP (pictured) on the issue of the broadcaster’s diversity
Fifty per cent of all on-screen and broadcasting roles will go to women, who already make up 48.5 per cent of the BBC’s total workforce.
However, the BBC will still be able to commission shows where the main roles are more likely to be male-dominated.
Radio 2, which has a particularly male-dominated line-up of broadcasters, including DJs and presenters Chris Evans, Simon Mayo, Jeremy Vine and Bob Harris, faces an overhaul.
Last year, a review by the BBC Trust, the corporation’s watchdog, found that six stations – including Radio 2 – raised concerns that they were failing ethnic minority audiences.
O.M.G. . . .What next? Where will it end? As a starting point . . . .Who watches TV to see ‘copies’ of themselves anyway? Don’t we watch to be entertained – to escape from the reality – or even boredom – of our lives? Then there is the issue of stereotypes – Define how a ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ person would look compared to a heterosexual of the same gender! They are all just people . . .. in the case of TV . . .they are actors. ‘Straights’ can play the role of ‘gays’ and vice-versa . . ..The ‘job’ of an actor entails acting after all! How then would you define a ‘disabled’ person . . . What would the stereotype of a disabled person be?? A bit tricky given the wide scope this ‘label’ encompasses – with mental and physical disabilities of varying degrees. Just imagine if you will . . .. a drama about a time in history . . . Does history have to be altered in order to fit these diversity requirements? Is there a risk that shows with considerable quality and merit will not be aired simply because the station would then not be able to meet these diversity criteria, because of the shows that they were already committed to running?