Actor and comedian Lenny Henry is urging Ofcom to do more to increase diversity within the BBC.
Henry said that there is “a long way to go” to improve off-screen diversity at the corporation, accusing the BBC of promoting a culture of “fake diversity”.
In a BBC report, the corporation said that an estimated 14 percent of its staff are from a BAME background. Henry said that the number of BAME people who work behind the scene in making programmes is closer actually to 1.5 percent.
“There are definitely more people of colour on our television screens, and more women in high-profile positions. But the fact is that while things might look like they are getting better, if you scratch the surface there is still a long way to go. The gender pay gap still persists, and the people who make TV programmes are still far from diverse,” he said.
“I believe that if we want to change our industry we must look beyond what we see on our TV screens and fix the bigger problems lying beneath. When it comes to racial diversity that means looking at who commissions and makes the programmes.”
“The number of BAME people behind the scenes in our industry is at crisis level and we need Ofcom to do something about it,” Henry told a panel in Parliament.
The actor went on to discuss the importance of diversity on and off the BBC’s screens.
“In today’s Britain, with Brexit … the need for all our voices to be heard is more important than ever. In a country where racist attacks are on the rise and where people retreat into their own social media bubbles, self-reinforcing extreme world views – and that includes the leader of the free world – diversity isn’t a luxury, it is essential.”
An Ofcom spokesperson has said: “Improving diversity in broadcasting – behind and in front of camera – is a crucial issue and a priority for Ofcom.
“The BBC has an important duty to reflect the full diversity of the UK. The charter places duties on Ofcom to regulate the BBC’s on-air diversity, but we also recognise that off-screen is critically important.
“We expect the BBC to increase diversity off-screen, and it has a workforce target of 15 percent representation of black, Asian and ethnic minorities, across all staff, including leadership, by 2020. We are clear that we will consider further action if we don’t see early and continued progress.
“We are also closely monitoring and reporting on the workforce diversity of all broadcasters in our forthcoming diversity survey.”