BBC commits £100m to increasing ‘on & off air’ D&I

The BBC has announced that it plans commit £100m to increasing diversity and inclusion (D&I) both “on and off air”. In a bid to transform its programming and better represent the public it serves, the BBC said it will prioritise £100m of its existing commissioning budget over three years towards diverse and inclusive content. This will be supported by a “new mandatory 20% diverse-talent target in all new network commissions from April 2021”.

The BBC said it’s “throwing open its doors more widely than ever to diverse stories and diverse storytellers”. It believes “the media industry is not changing fast enough. Although the BBC has been committed to creative diversity and inclusion for 100 years; but we now want to go further”. The measures announced are designed to accelerate the pace of change in increasing D&I both on and off air, and demonstrate change is being delivered.

“The senseless killing of George Floyd – and what it tells us about the stain of systemic racism – has had a profound impact on all of us. It’s made us question ourselves about what more we can do to help tackle racism – and drive inclusion within our organisation and in society as a whole,” stated BBC Director-General, Tony Hall. “This is our response – it’s going to drive change in what we make and who makes it. It’s a big leap forward – and we’ll have more to announce in the coming weeks.”

D&I COMMITMENT

The £100m investment will support its commitment to D&I in its TV output across all genres, including children’s, education and current affairs. It aims to achieve this through diverse stories and portrayal on-screen, as well as using diverse production teams and talent, and/or diverse-led production companies.

Commenting on the plan, June Sarpong, BBC’s Director of Creative Diversity, stated: “I came to the BBC as an outsider. Before joining I had an idea of this being an organisation that did not want to change. What I found was something different: an organisation that had ambitious goals for diversity and inclusion but didn’t know how to reach them. This commitment will help to drive real change that will be felt by all audiences. It will also create a strong framework to help diverse storytellers succeed at all levels of the industry.

“As Director of Creative Diversity, I’m pleased that we’re announcing this fund as the first of a series of bold steps that will help make the BBC an instrument of real change. As a black woman, I feel and share in the pain that so many are feeling worldwide. It makes it all the more important that we show up now not just with words but with meaningful action.”

MEANINGFUL TARGETS

Adding to her comments, Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, stated: “When I met Steve McQueen last year during the making of Small Axe, he challenged me and the BBC to set meaningful targets and take proper action. He was right. Today’s announcement represents a truly transformational commitment to both on and off screen representation. Concrete, tangible action is the only way we can bring about real sustainable change.”

As well as the “Creative Diversity” investment, the BBC aims to provide the following support to bolster its commitment to D&I:

• Working towards developing a comprehensive diverse digital database for the industry, and an accelerator programme for on-screen and off-screen diverse talent.
• Run regular meet and greets across the country, to enable talent from traditionally under-represented minority groups to engage with BBC staff and external suppliers who shape the organisation’s creative output.
• Work with the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on the ‘Belonging Blueprint’ – a project aimed at establishing new practices to create wider access to entertainment industry jobs for traditionally marginalised individuals.
• Continue to prioritise investing and developing diverse leaders at the BBC. The newly appointed Senior Leadership Advisors, two per leadership group, act as senior executives and bring fresh perspectives to each leadership board. They will receive development and training over the next year while they are in post.
• The Creative Diversity Unit, led by June Sarpong, Director of Creative Diversity, will publish a new strategy over the summer. The strategy will support the Belonging Blueprint and the inclusion toolkit, a set of guidance and tools to help the BBC’s creative staff and industry partners ensure D&I is at the heart of production.
• Later this year the BBC will also publish a detailed Diversity Commissioning Code of Practice report at the same time as its Annual Report and Accounts.

The BBC added that it will be setting “out further D&I plans in other production areas over the coming weeks”.