Ethnic minority woman blocked from C4 board
Culture Secretary accused of ‘failing’ viewers and broadcaster after rejecting move without explanation
MINISTERS blocked an ethnic minority woman from joining Channel 4’s board before the appointment of four white directors triggered a row over diversity targets, it has emerged.
Rozina Breen, a former BBC executive, was put forward as a preferred candidate to take up the role of non-executive director at the broadcaster by media regulator Ofcom.
But Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, who has the final say in the appointments, rejected the move without providing reasons for the decision. Ms Breen called the rejection “opaque and also problematic”.
The intervention to block Ms Breen’s appointment, first reported by TV industry magazine Deadline, has fuelled controversy after Channel 4’s chairman raised concerns about the appointment of four white directors on Monday.
Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow culture secretary, accused Ms Frazer of “failing Channel 4 and its viewers”.
She said: “Diversity is important in our public service broadcasters, not just in those who present in front of the camera but in every aspect and at every level including on boards.
“A broader range of people means different perspectives influencing decisions and a wider range of content that better serves our communities.”
Ms Breen spent 13 years at the BBC, most recently as the broadcaster’s head of north. She is now editor-in-chief and chief executive of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
She told Deadline: “There were clear criteria and a process for application. If one is put forward by Ofcom as one of the recommended candidates and then seemingly rejected by DCMS, that feels opaque and also problematic. Who is making the appointment?”
Ms Breen added: “Representation is essential and the all-too-live reality is that women of colour, especially, face multiple barriers. We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in.
“More diverse senior decision-makers are essential if broadcasting is to become a genuinely inclusive industry.”
News of Ms Breen’s rejection comes a day after Channel 4 chairman Sir Ian Cheshire criticised the Government’s decision to appoint four new white directors to the broadcaster’s board.
Following the appointments, 14 out of 15 Channel 4 board members will be white. That falls well short of the broadcaster’s overall target to draw 20pc of its staff from ethnic minorities, 12pc from people with disabilities and 6pc from those who identify as LGBT.
In an internal memo, Sir Ian said the appointments would improve diversity but warned the board did “not yet meet the levels of representation throughout the rest of the organisation”.
A spokesman of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: “DCMS is absolutely committed to advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments, to ensure that boards of public bodies benefit from a range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.
“Appointments to the Channel 4 board were made by Ofcom following a fair and open competition.”