BBC Still Showing its 'Hideously White' Face

Monday May 13, 2002
The Guardian

The BBC is the subject of two high-profile racial discrimination cases - despite Greg Dyke's much-trumpeted drive to make the station an attractive haven for ethnic talent. Joy Francis hears from some insiders who have been on the receiving end of a dose of the corporation's drive for diversity

The recent double whammy in which the BBC was hit by two high-profile race discrimination cases has highlighted a central flaw in its diversity policy: simply recruiting ethnic minority staff without attempting to nurture and accommodate racial and cultural differences does not work.

After fending off charges of racial and sexual discrimination by former World Service broadcaster Sharan Sadhu - she has withdrawn her complaint after the BBC agreed to an undisclosed settlement, though it denied her charges - the BBC cannot rest easy yet. Sadhu's case of racial and sexual discrimination cited the reign of a "colonial culture".

Next month it may have to respond to claims by former World Service contractor Perry Grambas that he was discriminated against and unfairly dismissed.

Sadhu's vivid picture of a boys' club and a 'colonial culture' is at odds with the ambition of director-general Greg Dyke for his corporation to be an attractive and creative haven for ethnic minority talent. While he strives to increase the number of ethnic minority staff from 8.5% to 10% by 2003, the question is whether the cultural revolution is working.

If the BBC's reaction to comments made by Alex Ferns, who plays Trevor Morgan in EastEnders, is anything to go by, then possibly not. Ferns's suggestion on BBC1's Liquid News that the popular soap lacked realism with so few black and Asian characters, attracted a defensive reaction rather than an acknowledgement that he has a point.

Dyke must be scratching his head in confusion at the recent turn of events, particularly after his corporation was described as the "most desirable place to work" in a survey of 6,000 final year university students.

But it should not be so surprising. Dyke himself revealed the "hideously white" nature of the BBC last year. Expecting to then rapidly recruit ethnic minority staff into a white, male, Oxbridge-dominated culture, get to grips with racial diversity, and deal with the emotions that are stirred up without any fallout is, at best, naive.

The challenge is whether these unflattering incidents, some of which are historical, will be used to expand the organisation's diversity vision or create a screen of denial based on the belief that ethnic recruitment targets are the answer.

No one doubts that the raft of initiatives to increase the presence of ethnic minorities in sport and man agement, for instance, is well intentioned. What is creating unease is how the official desire to allow ethnic minority talent to flourish is being hampered by a mainstream view of culture that is stereotypical and restrictive.

Managers are being told to pursue the diversity objectives "irrespective of what you think", a position that can backfire by creating more subtle forms of discrimination. This inconsistency, some Asian and black broadcasters assert, places an unfair onus on them to deliver the goods while being told about their own culture by white managers who do not have experience of their communities. As a result, many of those interviewed did not feel safe enough to go on the record.

"There is this unspoken reality that, although I look different from you, I must act, think and speak the same as you, which is then promoted as diversity," says a black female journalist who has freelanced for the BBC for more than three years.

An award-winning broadcaster, who also declined to be identified, says that as an Asian woman her generic role as a BBC producer was transformed unexpectedly into an ethnic brief. "At my appraisal I was criticised for not bringing in enough black and ethnic minority stories. I challenged them on this, as when I was appointed I was up against white colleagues and there was no mention of this in my job description. It was like a stake of fear went through my heart."

Ethnic minority number crunching in broadcasting hides a variety of sins, says Rose McDonald, secretary of the black members' committee at Bectu, the broadcasting, film and theatre union.

Drivers, receptionists and cleaners are included when they should not be, and staff can be counted twice. For example, reporters on attachment are sometimes listed both at their former department and at their placement. McDonald is also sceptical about the trend of poaching ethnic minority staff from the regions to work centrally in London, a move that can be seen as expedient.

A Manchester-based black BBC broadcaster was one of several black and Asian journalists approached to work on attachment in London, where the bulk of ethnic minority journalists are based.

"Two of my colleagues now in London have regional accents and are very experienced, yet they are constantly asked: 'Which university did you go to?' What diversity means in practice is not being broken down and that is the main source of disillusionment."

Marina Salandy-Brown, editor, home and current affairs, Radio 5 Live, argues that, with such a long history of poor recruitment among ethnic minorities in broadcasting, "there is bound to be this problem." But she agrees that there is "no point having diverse people if you don't allow them to be diverse".

Despite being one of the world's biggest broadcasters with a public mandate, the BBC is not alone in its tussle with racial diversity - hence the creation of the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) in 2000. With membership from many leading broadcasters, the CDN is committed to recruiting more black and Asian staff and improving the portrayal of ethnic minorities on screen.

After a two-year residency at Carlton TV, responsibility for the network rests with Channel 4 for 18 months. Every year members list their achievements (largely statistical) and unveil diversity action plans - without any verification. Unless you are a saint it will be a stretch to list all your shortcomings in a self-penned report under the glare of your peers.

Janey Walker, managing editor of commissioning at Channel 4, acknowledges this loophole and is planning to introduce a form of independent auditing of broadcasters' action plans.

"We are concerned that there are particular problem areas, such as in press and marketing, which are very white," she says.

Meanwhile, black and Asian staff continue to leave for other pastures. Ethnic minority audiences are not hanging around either and are switching off in droves, with cable and satellite winning their attention.

Alex Ferns's opinion on the state of ethnic portrayal needs to be considered, not stifled, and Sadhu's case, which attracted more than 20 statements of support from black and white staff, should not be dismissed lightly. A lack of action over the less savoury aspects of building a multicultural corporation will, if not handled transparently, make diversity no more than a game of numbers.