'Make TV Britons want to watch!' BBC backlash as it puts £80m into 'diversity drive'

This comes after the public service broadcaster previously announced it will slash roughly 500 roles by March 2026 amid wider plans to make £500m of savings.

Separately, the BBC has unveiled plans to invest £80m per year as part of a diversity drive with bosses saying the investment was aimed at improving off-air representation in senior production roles and leadership within production companies and on air-diversity.

The plans will also see the BBC increase its representation targets for ethnicity, disability and socio-economic diversity from 20 per cent to 25 per cent across all production roles.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) hit out at the news saying the cuts put the BBC in a "perilous state".

Michelle Stanistreet, the NUJ general secretary, said: “Coming on the back of a painful cull across BBC Local, these latest cuts across its regions and nations will further hollow out local news provision at a time when resources are stretched to breaking point.”

Kelvin Mackenzie, the former editor of The Sun and GB News commentator, also criticised the new plans suggesting the BBC should use the money to make content.

Speaking on X, he said: "The BBC has revealed it’s to spend £80million a year on “diverse” content and increased minority hires for TV production staff while at the same time announcing 115 local TV and radio redundancies.

"Instead of making “diverse” content how about using YOUR money to make TV people actually want to watch.

"Saw the first episode of the new Slow Horses with Gary Oldman on Apple last night. Totally Brilliant. An absolute must watch. I pay for Apple because I enjoy their output. I pay for the BBC because I would be going to jail if I didn’t.

"When is this going to change? Trust Jenrick promises the BBC is going over to subscription if they (ever) get to power."

Responding to the new plans on X, users waded in on the debate with one describing it as a "waste of money."

Another said the BBC "shot itself in the foot once again" by announcing cuts and the new funding for the diversity plans at the same time.

Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer said about the plans: "We are committed to backing British storytelling and I recognise the important role diverse-led indies play in telling these authentic stories.

“By increasing our investment in diverse content and enhancing our off-screen diversity targets, we aim to create a more inclusive environment that authentically represents and resonates with all audiences.”

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In July, it was revealed the BBC has invested £243.3m into diverse TV and radio programming during the last three years.

According to the BBC Group's Annual Report and Account, it revealed how the British broadcaster has spent millions on D&I strategy and programming despite funding dropping overall.

As part of their D&I push, the broadcaster has also installed a new tool for staff to monitor in real time how diverse their content is.

In the 35 page BBC Diversity Commissioning Code of Practice Progress Report, staff are now having to use a 50:50 tracker which "improves on-air representation in the BBC's output."