Post by Teddy Bear on Jul 20, 2009 19:08:45 GMT
The headline pretty much explains what's to come.
BBC banishing older women, says Dame Joan Bakewell
By Simon Cable
The BBC is embroiled in a fresh ageism row after veteran broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell became the latest high-profile figure to criticise the corporation.
The former BBC presenter lamented the lack of older female newsreaders on TV, saying they had 'died off'.
Her comments came as it emerged that a senior executive at the corporation had dismissed some of its older stars as 'silverbacks' at a high-level meeting last month.
And last week viewers attacked the BBC for replacing Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, 66, with 30-year-old pop singer Alesha Dixon. Almost 2,000 have complained about the move.
Dame Joan, 76, who presented BBC2's Late Night Line-Up in the 1960s, is now the Government's official Voice of Older People.
She reports to Harriet Harman, Labour's minister for women and equality.
Dame Joan held a meeting with BBC director-general Mark Thompson this month where she claimed that women over 50 were being banished from television screens, while men were allowed to carry on.
'It's like they have all somehow died off,' she said at the weekend.
'Television has this enormous influence and the lack of women over a certain age is damaging.
'There are no grey-haired women on TV as there are grey-haired men. Mind you, having said that, women would inevitably feel they had to dye their hair to appear.'
She did not reveal what Mr Thompson's response had been, but said: 'He's an intelligent man, so I hope my seeing him will start to get things changed.'
Mr Thompson faced more embarrassment yesterday after it was revealed that Emma Swain, who is in charge of commissioning documentaries, referred to older BBC stars, such as 83-year-old Sir David Attenborough, as 'silverbacks'.
She used the term - which refers to older male gorillas - during a speech about the need to make more shows for younger audiences.
In a briefing obtained by the Mail on Sunday, it was revealed that she told an audience of independent producers on June 9 that BBC1 controller Jay Hunt wanted 'to commission more programmes that appeal to a younger audience'.
'For example, we have a new arts series with a new presenter, not one of the silverbacks,' she added. Her comments drew an angry response from former LibDem leader Sir Menzies Campbell, 68, who said it was 'an insult'.
'There was Moira Stuart, then Arlene Phillips,' he said. 'Where will it all end?
'Silverbacks are the elders of the tribe, with experience and judgment. If a few silverbacks had been around, then perhaps Jonathan Ross would not have got into quite so much trouble.'
Miss Swain defended her comment, saying: 'I used the word "silverback" to suggest seniority, experience and reputation.
'Our older presenters are among our most popular but it's also important that we develop new talent while continuing to work with established names.'
The corporation has faced numerous ageism allegations in recent years, most notably following the departures of newsreaders Moira Stuart and Anna Ford.
In 2007 there was an outcry when Miss Stuart, then 57, lost her slot presenting the news on Andrew Marr's Sunday morning show on BBC1.
She had begun working as a BBC presenter in 1981, when she became the first black female newsreader on British television.
A year earlier, Miss Ford quit as a presenter of the One O'Clock News at the age of 62, claiming she faced being sidelined because of her age.
She had started her national news career at ITN before joining the BBC. She presented the Six O'Clock News from 1986.
Last week it was announced that Radio 1's Jo Whiley, 44, was losing her weekday show to Fearne Cotton, who is 17 years her junior.
While BBC2's Newsnight can boast 54-year-old Kirsty Wark as a host, her male co-presenters Jeremy Paxman and Gavin Esler are 59 and 56 respectively. The other regular female Newsnight presenter, Emily Maitlis, is 38.
By Simon Cable
The BBC is embroiled in a fresh ageism row after veteran broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell became the latest high-profile figure to criticise the corporation.
The former BBC presenter lamented the lack of older female newsreaders on TV, saying they had 'died off'.
Her comments came as it emerged that a senior executive at the corporation had dismissed some of its older stars as 'silverbacks' at a high-level meeting last month.
And last week viewers attacked the BBC for replacing Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, 66, with 30-year-old pop singer Alesha Dixon. Almost 2,000 have complained about the move.
Dame Joan, 76, who presented BBC2's Late Night Line-Up in the 1960s, is now the Government's official Voice of Older People.
She reports to Harriet Harman, Labour's minister for women and equality.
Dame Joan held a meeting with BBC director-general Mark Thompson this month where she claimed that women over 50 were being banished from television screens, while men were allowed to carry on.
'It's like they have all somehow died off,' she said at the weekend.
'Television has this enormous influence and the lack of women over a certain age is damaging.
'There are no grey-haired women on TV as there are grey-haired men. Mind you, having said that, women would inevitably feel they had to dye their hair to appear.'
She did not reveal what Mr Thompson's response had been, but said: 'He's an intelligent man, so I hope my seeing him will start to get things changed.'
Mr Thompson faced more embarrassment yesterday after it was revealed that Emma Swain, who is in charge of commissioning documentaries, referred to older BBC stars, such as 83-year-old Sir David Attenborough, as 'silverbacks'.
She used the term - which refers to older male gorillas - during a speech about the need to make more shows for younger audiences.
In a briefing obtained by the Mail on Sunday, it was revealed that she told an audience of independent producers on June 9 that BBC1 controller Jay Hunt wanted 'to commission more programmes that appeal to a younger audience'.
'For example, we have a new arts series with a new presenter, not one of the silverbacks,' she added. Her comments drew an angry response from former LibDem leader Sir Menzies Campbell, 68, who said it was 'an insult'.
'There was Moira Stuart, then Arlene Phillips,' he said. 'Where will it all end?
'Silverbacks are the elders of the tribe, with experience and judgment. If a few silverbacks had been around, then perhaps Jonathan Ross would not have got into quite so much trouble.'
Miss Swain defended her comment, saying: 'I used the word "silverback" to suggest seniority, experience and reputation.
'Our older presenters are among our most popular but it's also important that we develop new talent while continuing to work with established names.'
The corporation has faced numerous ageism allegations in recent years, most notably following the departures of newsreaders Moira Stuart and Anna Ford.
In 2007 there was an outcry when Miss Stuart, then 57, lost her slot presenting the news on Andrew Marr's Sunday morning show on BBC1.
She had begun working as a BBC presenter in 1981, when she became the first black female newsreader on British television.
A year earlier, Miss Ford quit as a presenter of the One O'Clock News at the age of 62, claiming she faced being sidelined because of her age.
She had started her national news career at ITN before joining the BBC. She presented the Six O'Clock News from 1986.
Last week it was announced that Radio 1's Jo Whiley, 44, was losing her weekday show to Fearne Cotton, who is 17 years her junior.
While BBC2's Newsnight can boast 54-year-old Kirsty Wark as a host, her male co-presenters Jeremy Paxman and Gavin Esler are 59 and 56 respectively. The other regular female Newsnight presenter, Emily Maitlis, is 38.