BBC Multiculturalism for everybody else

[Teddy Bear]

While the BBC delights in bending over backwards to further a multicultural Britain, apparently they don't practise what they preach. For sure this is not the only example of hypocrisy within the BBC, just another.

Black staff at the BBC are mainly cleaners and guards, says Ross
Chris Hastings and Jasper Copping, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:49am GMT 04/03/2007


Jonathan Ross, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, yesterday plunged the corporation into an embarrassing race row by claiming that the vast majority of its black and Asian staff work as cleaners or security guards.

During his Radio 2 programme, Ross, who reportedly has an £18 million three-year contract with the BBC, said its ethnic minority employees were more likely to be seen carrying a cloth than presenting programmes.

"How many black people have they got working on proper shows?" he asked. "[Black people] are either standing on the door or carrying a cloth."

advertisementRoss, who also presents the BBC's Film 2006 programme, said the BBC had not "got there in terms of race". His comments echo controversial claims made in 2001 by Greg Dyke, the former director-general, who accused the corporation of being "hideously white".

Despite Lenny Henry's regular appearances on BBC programmes, including his own, the comments will be particularly embarrassing for an organisation that has boasted about its attempts to boost the number of black and ethnic minority people in its workforce.

The issue has long been explosive for the BBC. Mary Fitzpatrick, the editorial executive of diversity, has often provoked bemusement and anger with her comments on the BBC's recruitment and employment policies.

Last August, she was at the centre of a row when she said the BBC's foreign correspondents should come from the same ethnic background as the country from which they were reporting.

The BBC declined to comment in depth on what it said were Mr Ross's personal opinions. A spokesman said: "The BBC is committed to ensuring that the organisation has a mixed and diverse work force to guarantee a good understanding of the whole BBC audience.

"BBC employment targets to be met by December 2007 are: 12.5 per cent ethnic minority employees in the workforce, and 7 per cent of senior managers. Mr Ross was expressing his own personal views and we don't want to comment further."

A spokesman for Trevor Phillips, the head of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, said: "These are interesting comments that Jonathan has made but it is not a new subject for us.

"Trevor has been saying for some time that he wants a better reflection of ethnic minorities in the industry and at the BBC. They are in danger of not reflecting British society."

But Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: "The BBC actually deserves some credit on this. There are some key presenters from ethnic minorities coming through at the moment, especially in the regions."

[Teddy Bear]

Ross wins support in BBC race row
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 1:38am GMT 05/03/2007

There was widespread support last night for Jonathan Ross's claim that the BBC employs most black people only in low paid jobs.

Reputed to earn £4.5 million a year as the corporation's highest paid presenter, Ross made his claim live on air during his weekly Radio 2 show on Saturday.

He asked: "How many black people have they got working on proper shows?

advertisement''You know the BBC still haven't really come up to speed. I mean they are trying, God bless them.

"Most of the guys you see there are either working on the door, carrying a cloth in there and cleaning up. We haven't really made the effort yet."

Last night the BBC was anxious to point out that Ross, 46, who was awarded an OBE two years ago, was expressing "a personal opinion".

A spokesman for the Commission for Racial Equality said yesterday: "Efforts towards better representation in all areas of media establishments boost public confidence and an organisation's credibility.

"It ensures that the issues that matter to society as a whole are truly mirrored and gives the establishment a real competitive advantage."

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who anchors Channel 4's News at Noon, said the BBC was by no means the worst offender.

He said: "Significant efforts have been made over the last few years but it is still not enough. The media is infinitely different to how it was 18 years ago, when I started, but there is still a huge problem.

"The senior management level is overwhelmingly white and a few high profile black faces smattered around doesn't really address that."

A spokesman for Trevor Phillips, who heads the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, said: "He [Trevor Phillips] wants a better reflection of ethnic minorities in the industry and at the BBC, they are in danger of not reflecting British society."

Six years ago Greg Dyke, the BBC's former director general, accused the corporation of being "hideously white''.

Last year Mary Fitzpatrick, the BBC's editorial executive of diversity, prompted a row when she suggested its foreign correspondents should be from the same ethnic background as the country they were reporting on.

In a statement issued yesterday the BBC said: "The BBC is committed to ensuring that the organisation has a mixed and diverse workforce to guarantee a good understanding of the whole BBC audience, which includes people from a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds.

"BBC employment targets to be met by December 2007 are: 12.5 per cent ethnic minority employees in the workforce; and seven per cent of senior managers."

[vandamme]

Maybe Jonathan Ross should give up his job and give it to an ethnic minority, you know; practice what you preach!

[Teddy Bear]

If I was Ross I wouldn't worry too much about it. In a few years at the rate the dhimmi BBC is going, it will anyway be taken over completely by Muslims.