How oh-so-PC BBC is lagging behind rivals on diversity
THE BBC lags far behind other broadcasters in ensuring gender balance and diversity among staff, watchdogs warn today.
Despite styling itself as a beacon of political correctness, the Corporation is less likely to employ women than leading TV rivals.
It is also less likely to promote them to senior positions, according to a major report by Ofcom. And the BBC fares worse than other broadcasters in employing people from ethnic minorities and lags behind Channel 4 on hiring people with disabilities.
The findings fly in the face of Corporation claims that it leads the industry in diversity and gender equality.
They will also heap fresh pressure on bosses who are still reeling from the gender pay row, stoking concerns the BBC is too ‘male, pale and stale’. In June, the national broadcaster was forced to reveal pay details of senior presenters and staff, exposing a shocking difference between men and women.
Many male presenters earned considerably more than female colleagues even though they appear to do the same job.
At the time, director general Lord Tony Hall told staff: ‘On gender and diversity, the BBC is more diverse than the broadcasting industry.’
But Ofcom’s report based on 2016 data found that just 47 per cent of BBC staff are women, lower than Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5 owner Viacom as well as the general population, which is 51 per cent female.
Despite the BBC having more women employees over 40 than Critical: Sharon White Britain’s other big TV stations, they are more likely to languish in relatively junior roles.
Just 39 per cent of senior managers are female but at ITV, the figure is 42 per cent and at Viacom almost half the top jobs are held by women.
The Ofcom report said: ‘Employees of the BBC are increasingly likely to be male, the more senior their role.’
The watchdog said 61 per cent of the BBC Board and senior managers are men. Among mid-level management, 57 per cent are male. Around 13 per cent of BBC staff are non-white, just behind the general population, but only 6 per cent of top jobs go to people from ethnic minorities.
Ofcom chief executive Sharon White said the findings should be a ‘wake-up call’. She added: ‘The BBC is the national broadcaster, it should be driving the rest of the industry.’
In a remark seen as targeting Lord Hall, she added broadcasters will only fix the problem with ‘leadership right from the top’.
The BBC has previously been accused of being too politically correct. One example came in 2015 when it advertised for a weather presenter who did not ‘need to be an expert’ but did need to have a disability.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Our 2017 figures show we have increased our representation including in our female, LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender]; black and ethnic minority; and disability workforce.’