BBC installs diversity tool for staff to track ethnicity in programmes as it spends MILLIONS on D&I
BBC has created a Diversity Report to monitor its progress
BBC
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 which was published today, it revealed how the British broadcaster has spent millions on D&I strategy and programming despite funding dropping overall.
The report read: "We’ve made progress towards our overall 50:20:12:25 Diversity and Inclusion targets for the year, but there is much to do to ensure we remain representative of our audiences as we get smaller as an organisation.
"Disability and ethnicity are behind our expected ambition and both will be a focus of our refreshed D&I strategy which will be released in the coming year.
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.
A page from the 35 page report on Diversity
BBC
The report read: "In 2023, 128 teams were monitoring ethnicity which increased to 242 teams in 2024.
It went on: "The tool is easy to use and teams can see where they can make changes to improve on-screen representation."
It comes as the number of Britons paying for their BBC TV licence declined year on year. Licences in force in the UK declined by 2 per cent year on year.
Discussing the BBC’s biggest challenges, Director-General Tim Davie admitted that the decline in licence fee payments has “chipped away” at its income.
He said: “Our big challenge now is to accelerate rapidly the transformation of the BBC. We need to create a leaner, more agile organisation, and make the most of the digital-first opportunity to redesign our processes, cut costs and serve audiences better.
The BBC representation stats show 12.8% Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation on production teams, 17.6%R LGB representation on production teams and 9.7% deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.
While on screen representation showed nearly 30% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation while nearly 18% LGB on-screen representation - both figures way above the national average.
Some 18% belong to a black, Asian or other ethnic group in 2021 census while just 3.3 per cent of UK population identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual in 2022 according to Office of National Statistics.
Reform MP, Rupert Lowe said: "I believe that we should scrap the BBC licence fee. If people wish to financially support the organisation, they can.
"The rest of us should be able to enjoy all other live TV, without being forced into funding a woke BBC that fails to represent us. Defund the BBC."