UK Broadcasting Industry Struggles to Retain Diverse Staff

More people are leaving the TV and radio industries than joining,  with broadcasters facing a worrying loss of diverse talent, according to Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator.

Ofcom’s five-year look at Diversity and Equal Opportunities in UK Broadcasting found that broadcasters are struggling to retain talent in the aftermath of the pandemic; with more women in particular leaving the broadcasting business than joining.

TV and radio firms now have a much better understanding of the makeup of their workforce, and representation of minority groups has generally improved in the last five years. But the lack of diversity among senior decision makers remains significant; and disabled people continue to be underrepresented across the industry. In fact, the proportion of TV employees who are disabled is projected to fall over next the five years.

LACK OF DIVERSITY IN SENIOR RANKS

That said, broadcasters have made progress hiring a wider range of talent. For example, there are twice as many people working in radio from minority-ethnic backgrounds than there were three years ago.

“But for the first time, more people are leaving the industry than joining, particularly women, while disabled people remain significantly underrepresented,” highlighted Ofcom’s Chief of Diversity and Inclusion, Vikki Cook. “And because companies have focused on entry-level recruitment, there still isn’t enough diverse talent in senior roles.”

She is calling on broadcasters to “slow the revolving door and focus on retaining and progressing talented people from all walks of life”.

KEY FINDINGS

Ofcom’s latest report on diversity in broadcasting reflects on progress made over the last five years. Its key findings reveal that:

• Broadcasters are more representative of the UK’s ethnic diversity. In 2017/18, minority ethnic groups made up just 6% of the radio workforce. This has now increased to 10%, though still below the UK working population benchmark of 12%. In TV, 16% of staff are from minority-ethnic backgrounds, up from 13% over the same period.

• There is a serious lack of diversity among senior decision-makers. Broadcasters appear to have focused on entry-level recruitment at the expense of retaining and progressing their diverse talent. Disabled people, for example, make up only 6% of senior managers. The situation is more promising for minority ethnic colleagues in TV, who make up nearly a fifth of all those promoted – although it’s not clear whether this is to senior management positions.

• The UK’s disabled population is woefully underrepresented in the broadcasting industry. Despite encouraging initiatives in recent years, both TV and Radio are still reporting industry-wide representation at 7%; less than half the UK benchmark of 19% in 2020/21.

• Socio-economic diversity is also lacking, both for the lack of data and what the available data shows. Available data shows that TV employees are almost twice as likely to have had parents in professional occupations (59% compared to the UK benchmark of 33%) and to have attended private school (13% compared with a UK average of 7%).

• Broadcasters know more than ever about the makeup of the broadcasting industry. However, they cannot fix the diversity problem unless it’s fully understood; and they are now providing Ofcom with much more data. In 2016/17, disability information was missing for around a third of industry employees. Today, we know the disability status of 76% of TV, and 85% of radio, employees.

MORE FOCUS ON RETENTION & INCLUSION

Ofcom wants broadcasters to work together – and with their production partners – to create a more inclusive sector for everyone. That includes a greater focus on retention as well as recruitment. The media regulator is calling on broadcasters to:

• Further improve data collection – including on promotions.
• Report the success or failure of diversity initiatives more transparently.
• Engage meaningfully with their staff networks.
• Consider setting retention targets.

Click here to access the full report.

Earlier this year, the BBC announced ambitious diversity targets. Click here to read more.