Broadcast Industry Bosses Call For Increased Diversity

In order to ensure that the business has a diversified future, broadcast executives must advocate for increased participation of people of colour in senior positions.

Leaders from UK broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, will highlight what they believe are the important concerns confronting the business and how they may be solved on Wednesday during Channel 4's annual Inclusion Festival.

The Altogether Different: Live event will feature interviews and panel discussions on a variety of subjects, such as the challenges faced by disabled talent, the portrayal of Muslims in the media, and the transgender community.

It was frequently brought up in the previews of some of the pre-recorded meetings to improve the variety of off-screen talent and alter the composition of senior leaders in broadcasting.  Speaking about the value of off-screen diversity, Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon says: "Off-screen representation is considerably harder (than on-screen) because we can't see it clearly.

Ian Katz, the chief content officer for the network, will discuss the "scandalous lack of access provided to disabled talent."

The co-director of Deaf & Disabled People in TV Caroline O'Neill, who is speaking on the panel about challenges faced by disabled talent in the industry, adds: "We need disabled people in those senior level roles and that will have a trickle effect because at the moment, most disabled people enter the industry, they look up, and they've got no senior role models.

Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, emphasises the significance of organisational reform as well, lamenting the "too much good purpose" and lack of progress.

Mr. Davie asserts, "Unless you fundamentally reorganise your organisation, you will not complete this task."

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the chief anchor of Channel 4 News, will address the significance of decision-makers in his keynote speech by posing the following query: "At the very top management levels, those holding the power, what do we think about the pace of change?

Are we really content to accept the possibility that the audiences the gatekeepers serve may never genuinely reflect them?

After registering on the event website, viewers can watch the festival beginning at 9am on Wednesday.