“ THE BBC NEEDS TO CHANGEDRAMATICALLY IF IT IS TO BEA SERIOUS PLAYER IN 21STCENTURY BRITAIN”

In April 2000 a man stood up at the Race in theMedia Awards in London and said...

His name was Greg Dyke, Director-General of the BBC.This is the story of what happened next...

“ THE BBC NEEDS TO CHANGEDRAMATICALLY IF IT IS TO BEA SERIOUS PLAYER IN 21STCENTURY BRITAIN”

Peter Salmon, Championing cultural diversity .......................... 2

Case study: No journalism experience necessary .................... 3

A great year of BBC programmes .............................................. 4

Heart of Harlesden .......................................................................... 5

Islam UK ............................................................................................ 5

Babyfather .......................................................................................... 5

Trouble up North ............................................................................ 5

Trading Races .................................................................................... 5

Case study: Monitoring Radio Five Live ...................................... 6

BBC Local Radio .............................................................................. 7

Worth a surf .................................................................................. 11

Celebrating the Nations & Regions .......................................... 12

Connecting with audiences ........................................................ 14

What we’ve done............................................................................ 15

BBC Talent ...................................................................................... 16

Black History Month .................................................................... 17

Case study: Your newsroom or mine ...................................... 18

Linda Mitchell, BBC Head of Diversity ...................................... 19

If you would like to know more about any of the issues inthis brochure, please contact: Chantal Benjamin, SeniorCommunications Adviser. BBC Corporate and Public Relations.E-mail chantal.benjamin@bbc.co.uk

Editor: Chantal Benjamin, Senior Communications Adviser Designed and produced by: BBC Design & Publications

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In January 2001 I took over the Race Champion’s role at the BBC.What exactly is a RaceChampion? Essentially I’m the influencer.The voice at the board.

I champion race issues across television, radio and our online services. It’s my responsibilityto work closely with the Head of Diversity, Linda Mitchell and her team, to keep the issue ofrace equality high on everyone’s agenda around the BBC.

Changing the culture of the BBC has been crucial to ensuring an atmosphere in whichdiversity can flourish.The One BBC initiative, which encourages risk taking, honestdiscussions, creativity and dynamism across the whole of the BBC, has been an integral partof supporting our wider aims around diversity – a BBC fit for the 21st century.

This brochure outlines just some of the things we are doing at the BBC.We’ve had a reallygood year for programmes.We’ve improved our training opportunities for black and Asianstaff.We’ve ensured ethnic minority programmes aren’t always scheduled in ‘graveyard’ slots.

Our ethnic minority audience told us “we want to be seen as ordinary, just living a normalBritish life”.We’ve increased representation of African, Caribbean and Asian people in ourmainstream popular dramas like Holby City, EastEnders and Casualty.

We’ve streamlined the way we connect with minority audiences through our marketing andcommunications activity.

I hope you find this brochure both useful and illuminating.

Peter Salmon Director, BBC SportBBC Race Champion

Championing cultural diversity

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At the BBC we believe sharingknowledge is a good way to findout what works and what doesn’t.We are sharing case studies asother organisations may findthem useful. In addition we’d beinterested to hear what hasworked in similar circumstances foryou so we can all work to improvecultural diversity in the media.

“Proven track record in journalism”,“Minimum 3 years’ experience in broadcasting”or “A good understanding of radioproduction”. Sound familiar? Clearly the BBCneeds some staff with journalistic experience,but for every single journalism post? What if weintroduced a little flexibility into the system?Would the media fall into the knee-jerk reaction ofaccusing us of dropping standards? Or would wediscover that formal journalism training isn’t the onlyway to produce an enquiring mind, a good writer andsomeone with a completely in-depth knowledge ofcertain communities and the key issues?

In early 2000, in response to a clear expectation fromthe Director-General that the BBC would be moreaccessible and would reflect its audiences in both itsstaffing and its programming, funding was set aside in EnglishRegions for regional community affairs researchers.Their rolewould be to have an impact on output by creating strong andcredible links with local communities. In return they would bedeveloped and trained in post so that they had the opportunityto apply for broadcast journalist roles within the BBC at theend of their contracts.

The recruitment campaign for these new roles was quite a departurefrom traditional BBC practice.We wanted people with strong linksto under-represented communities, an interest in the media and theability to research.We did not ask for journalism experience.

Three strategies were adopted which attracted a wider range of candidates:

• The wording of the advertisement was adapted from an East Midlands traineecampaign which had attracted a significant number of minority ethnic candidates –“You may have no formal journalist training …” was the hook.

• The vacancies were advertised in the usual print media – The Guardian,The Voice,Eastern Eye – but also flyers were sent to youth and community courses and tocommunity organisations.

• Shortlisting criteria highlighted the need for direct experience of the issuesaffecting socially excluded people and communities.

So if we didn’t want journalism experience, what were we looking for?The shortlisting criteria covered areas such as understanding of diversity,experience of community work or community involvement, researchexperience, media experience and writing skills.

There was little resistance to the role of community affairs researchersbut some staff were uncertain when undertaking the shortlisting as theywere so used to recruiting people with journalism backgrounds.Theinterviews were a further challenge for some but the interviewerswere impressed by the quality of the candidates and could see thatthe shift away from a mono-culture would have enormous benefitsfor their newsrooms.

So what have we achieved?

• A community affairs research team with excellent communitycontacts and research skills. Each person brings experience notusually found in the BBC and their work has had an impact onlocal radio,TV and websites.The team itself is diverse andthis gives a strong message to other staff that diversity isnot only about ethnicity, nor is it the exclusive domain ofminority ethnic staff.

• An understanding of how to broaden the appeal ofBBC jobs without compromising standards – in fact, theprocess increased the range and quality of candidates.

• Good practice which can be transferred to otherrecruitment campaigns.

• Increasingly diverse staff profile which can onlyenhance the creativity, the culture and theaudience reputation of the BBC.

Iona Jones, BBC English Regions

Case study:No journalism experience necessary

BBC ONEHolby CityEastEnders

Friends Like TheseCasualty

Audley Harrison Doctors

CBBC

BBC TWOHeart of Harlesden

Black BritainBindi Millionaires

Network EastEast

Islam UKBabyfather

African Cup of NationsTrading Races

The Kumars at No.42Bombay Blush

BBC CHOICE60seconds

Up Late with Gina YashereThe Players’ Club

BBC KNOWLEDGEBlack History Season

It’s Black EntertainmentBlack Messiah

Slavery and ReparationsWhite Sings Robeson

BBC RADIO 4Black History Season

Blood for BritainWoman’s Hour

The HajBone in The Kebab

BBC RADIO FIVE LIVEBlack History Season

5 Live ReportWright and Bright

The JuiceNicky Campbell

A great year of programmes“The problem with the BBC is there is neveranything on for black or Asian people and when thereis it’s on at midnight. Like they think we don’t sleep.” African Caribbean woman, age 24

Once upon a time those words may have rung true, but notany more.The BBC put out a range of great programmes andservices between April 2001 and March 2002.This is asnapshot of just some of those that you could have watchedor listened to.Almost all were broadcast at accessible times.

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Heart of HarlesdenThis high-profile eight-part series went out in prime time on BBC Two inApril 2001. Focusing on African-Caribbean life in Harlesden, the seriesreached 40% of the total black UK viewing audience aged 16–28*. Directors:Marcus Ryder and Jackie Osei -Tutu

Impact:

Good reviews and high appreciation index. Some complaints that theseries did not represent the true Harlesden. Nonetheless, the series gavea voice to communities we rarely see on television in the UK.

Islam UKAn award-winning landmark season exploring the lifestyles andinfluences of Muslims in the UK, and the development of Islam as agreat world religion. Broadcast on BBC Two, BBC Online and BBCLocal Radio in August 2001. Series Editors: Ruth Pitt and Aaqil Ahmed

Impact:

Brought a new Muslim audience to the BBC and Islam to amainstream audience that was curious to know more. The BBChas historically broadcast programmes and seasons about a rangeof faiths across its networks.The season was complemented bya large amount of off-air activity and a number of eventsorganised by BBC Education and Learning Support.A rangeof educational programmes were broadcast to complementthe season as part of the BBC’s Learning Zone in August andSeptember 2001.

BabyfatherThis four-part prime time drama broadcast in October2001 on BBC Two. Based on Patrick Augustus’s bestseller,Babyfather explored the complexities of 21st-century life,unusually from the perspective of four male friendssharing the pressures of life and love at their weeklyget-together football practice. Director:Alrick Riley

Impact:

This was a very popular drama aimed at amainstream audience although it also went downa storm with our African Caribbean audiences.The website buzzed with messages during theproduction’s run.

*Source: BBC Audience & Consumer Research

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Trouble up NorthBroadcast on BBC Two in December 2001, thisfour-part series looked at the aftermath of troublesin the northern towns of Bradford, Oldham andBurnley. It examined the racial tensions betweenwhite people,Asians and black people. Editor:Aaqil Ahmed

Impact:

It was important that the BBC went back to the scenesof disturbances we had reported on earlier in the yearto ask all those affected,“what’s going on now?” It is alltoo easy to parachute people in for news headlines.Aresponsible broadcaster goes back and asks “what hashappened since the spotlight went away? Has anythingactually happened to make a difference for these residents?”

Trading RacesA two-part series broadcast on BBC Two in January 2002,examining what happens if you change your skin colourtemporarily.The series was not an exercise to ‘discover’ racismin others, but an attempt to understand the personal changes anindividual goes through when they appear to be something theyare not.

Impact:

Viewing figures topped almost 3 million for each programme. Presscoverage was generally positive and it brought issues of race andidentity to the wider public in a fresh and non-judgmental way.Directors: Marcus Ryder and David Russell

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Monitoring is the bane of any diversity practitioner’s life.

But bean counting is crucial for progress. At the BBCwe have made a lot of public commitments to culturaldiversity but there’s no way of knowing whether we areimproving unless we do an audit. Bob Shennan, Controllerof Radio Five Live, has been a supporter of cultural diversityat the BBC for a long time. His commitment to a diversenetwork has resulted in Radio Five Live attracting a widerrange of ethnic minority listeners than ever before.

Inevitably some people will shout ‘politically correct’ at RadioFive Live. However, we’re not doing any of this for politically correctreasons.We want to be the most successful news and sportsstation in the UK and we need to understand who our audienceand potential audiences are, and what will attract them to us.

During the past six months, Five Live has been implementing a diversitypolicy which includes: the quarterly monitoring of its programmes duringa 24-hour period; an active policy to develop presenters – Anna Rajan,Aasmah Mir and Rahul Tandon in the daily schedules, with Dotun Adebayoand Wendy Douglas standing in as presenters on The Juice and Brief Lives;and the commissioning of programmes that are in tune with these objectives.

For example, DJ Spoony presented a series of six interviews whichincluded members of the ethnic minorities, and the Wright and Brightshow (ex-footballers Ian Wright and Mark Bright) has made asignificant contribution to the sports portfolio, attracting manyblack contributors and listeners.

Programme editors in Five News have individual objectivesabout improving on-air diversity. In the past six months alldaytime shows featured items and discussions connected toIslam Week and to Black History Month.We also hadextensive coverage from Durban of the week-long UNconference on racism, presented by Rahul Tandon andproduced by Ishfaq Ahmed, with an impressive range oflive guests in most shows. Rahul Tandon also presenteda documentary, Will The Real Asian Beckham Stand Up,and another on the Oldham disturbances.

The Five Live Report is broadcast every weekend andregularly covers ethnic minority stories. Colin Josephwas recently appointed to focus on stories fromAfrican-Caribbean communities.

Marina Salandy Brown,Home Editor, Radio Five Live

Case study:Monitoring Radio Five Live

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BBC Local Radio broadcasts a range of programmes targetedat local communities.We regularly get requests in from groupswho would like to use our targeted programmes to connect withblack and Asian audiences. See over for the details.

To contact the programmes, either call the BBC’s mainswitchboard in your area, or send an e-mail. BBC e-mailaddresses: firstname.lastname@bbc.co.uk

Details are correct at the time of going to press but Local Radio programmesdo change so check before you send details.

Got a great story?

Tell our targetedradio programmes

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Irish Eye 94.6, 95.4, 104.1 & 104.4 FMRadio Oxford 95.2 FM

BBC RADIO BERKSHIRE

Sunday2pm–5pm

Irish Henry Wymbs

Aaj Kaal 94.6, 95.4, 104.1 & 104.4 FMRadio Oxford 95.2 FM

Sunday5pm–7pm

Asian Sutish Sharma

Black Voice 94.6, 95.4, 104.1 & 104.4 FMRadio Oxford 95.2 FM

Sunday7pm–9pm

African Caribbean Kathleen Shaw

Sangam 95.5, 95.1 & 104.6 FM 1323,1548 AM

BBC RADIO BRISTOL/SOMERSET SOUND

Sunday6pm–8pm

Asian Rizvana Sheik

Black Echo 94.9 & 95.5 FM 1323,1548 AM

Sunday8pm–10pm

African Caribbean Evadney Campbell

Ansar Ali;AsianNetwork–Peterborough

95.7 & 96 FM

BBC RADIO CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Saturday 3pm–6pmSunday 1pm–3pm

Asian Ansar Ali

Off The Record 95 FM

BBC RADIO CLEVELAND

Thursday8pm–9pm

Asian Sameena Bashey

Next Generasian 95 FM Sunday4pm–6pm

Asian Parmjit Singh Anissa Haq

Ad Newathow 95.2 & 103.9 FM

BBC RADIO CORNWALL

Sunday8pm–8.05pm

Cornish-speaking Rod LyonsVanessa Beeman

Sangeet Mahal 104.7 FM & 1413 AM Sunday6pm–8pm

Asian Manny Masih

Black Echo 104.7 FM & 1413 AM Sunday8pm–10pm

African Evadney Campbell

Judy Simpson Show 94.8,103.7 & 104 FM Sunday 8pm–11pm

African Caribbean Judy SimpsonOrlando McGowan

Frank Stewart’s Gospel Show 94.8,103.7 & 104 FM Saturday11pm–1am

African Caribbean Frank Stewart

Poles Apart 94.8,103.7 & 104 FM Friday8pm–9pm

Polish Bozena WilsonJan Jankowscki

BBC RADIO GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Herdle White Show 94.8,103.7 & 104 FM

BBC WM in COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE

Saturday8pm–11pm

African Caribbean Herdle WhiteTamara Oldacre

Ben Turner’s Talent Factory 94.8,103.7 & 104 FM Saturday11pm–1am

African Caribbean Ben Turner Michael Melbourne

FREQUENCY TIME COMMUNITIES PRESENTERS

BBC GMR

Asian Word English News Magazine

95.1 & 104.6 FM Thursday9pm–10pm

Asian Talat-Farooq AwanSophia Akbar

Shamoly Bengali Magazine

95.1 & 104.6 FM Sunday8pm–9pm

Asian Apu-ChowdaryArjumand-Alum

JaltrangUrdu Magazine

95.1 & 104.6 FM Sunday9pm–12am

Asian Mumtaz-HussainShamim Malik

The People 95.1 & 104.6 FM Saturday7pm–9pm

African Caribbean Karen GabayVictor Mason

The Parlour 95.1 & 104.6 FM Monday7pm–8pm

Irish Simone GreeneAllan Keegan

Eastern Horizon 95.1 & 104.6 FM Sunday7pm–9pm

Chinese Juanita Yau

Asian Word English News Magazine

95.1 & 104.6 FM Sunday7pm–8pm

Asian Talat-Farooq AwanRokiyya-Mullah

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Celtic Fringe 94.9 & 104.7 FM1368 AM

Wednesday7pm–9pm

Irish James McKeefry

Jumoke Fashola 94.9 FM

BBC LDN

Sunday6pm–8pm

African Caribbean Jumoke Fashola

BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE

Open House 95.8 FM Thursday 8.05pm–9pm

Asian Umi Prasad

Orient Express 95.8 FM Thursday 9pm–10pm

Chinese June YeePaul Coslet

Up Front 95.8 FM Saturday6.35pm–10pm

African Caribbean K. DeliteMandy Smith

Off The Record 95.4 FM

BBC RADIO NEWCASTLE

Thursday8pm–9pm

Asian Samenna Bashey

Next Generasian 95.4 FM Sunday4pm–5pm

Asian Parmjit SinghAnissa Haq

Awaaz 95.4 FM Sunday5pm–6pm

Asian Dr Pindi Naru

Chinese Connections 95.4 FM Sunday6pm–7pm

Chinese Sow Fong Cole

BBC RADIO LINCOLNSHIRE

In the Spirit 104.9 FM Sunday4pm–6pm

African Caribbean Dulcie Dixon

Celtic Fringe 104.9 FM Wednesday7pm–9pm

Irish James McKeefry

Asian Community News 95.9 FM Thursday6.05pm–7.05pm

Asian Rama Kohli

BBC RADIO LANCASHIRE

Asian WordEnglish News Magazine

103.9, 95.5 & 104.5 FM

Thursday9pm–10pm

Asian Talat-Farooq AwanSophia Akbar

Asian WordEnglish News Magazine

855 AM Sunday7pm–8pm

Asian Talat-Farooq AwanRokiyya-Mullah

ShamolyBengali Magazine

855 AM Sunday8pm–9pm

Bangladeshi Apu-ChowdaryArjumand-Alum

JaltrangUrdu Magazine

855 AM Sunday9pm–12am

Asian Mumtaz-HussainShamim MalikHamid-Shafaq

Connections English Language News

92.4 & 95.3 FM 774 AM

BBC RADIO LEEDS

Monday–Friday6pm–7pm

Irish Mussy Abassi

Jhakkar Bengali Language

92.4 & 95.3 FM 774 AM

Tuesday7pm–8pm

Bangladeshi Ali Hasan

Nightshift 92.4 & 95.3 FM 774 AM

Saturday6pm–8pm

African Caribbean Abi JayolaRobert Pitt

Junction 774 92.4 & 95.3 FM 774 AM

Sunday6pm–9.30pm

Asian Mussy Abassi

Jhalak Urdu Language

92.4 & 95.3 FM 774 AM

Sunday9.30pm–11pm

Urdu-speaking Lakhbir Kaur

Talking Blues 104.9 FM

BBC RADIO LEICESTER

Sunday6pm–9pm

African Caribbean Shirley BurgessEverton Osborne

Herdle White Show 104.9 FM Friday7pm–10pm

African Caribbean Herdle White

Celtic Fringe 104.9 FM Sunday2pm–4pm

Irish James McKeefry

BBC RADIO HUMBERSIDEFREQUENCY TIME COMMUNITIES PRESENTERS

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Jona Kotnis 104.2 & 103.6 FM Saturday6pm–7.30pm

Asian Jona Kotnis

Inspiration 104.2 & 103.6 FM Saturday7.30pm–9pm

African Caribbean Mark Dean

Back a Yard 103.8 & 95.5 FM Sunday 4pm–7pm

African Caribbean Christine Belle

Dhamaka 103.8 & 95.5 FM Sunday 9pm–12am

Asian Kaval Vaseer

Nawrang 103.8 & 95.5 FM Friday7pm–10pm

Asian Harry Harish

BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD

Apni Zuban 1035 AM Saturday6pm–8pm

Asian Mushtaq Tufail andIffat Hameed

Eastern Air 1035 AM Saturday8pm–11pm

Asian Shawkat Hashmi

Apki Pasand 1035 AM only Sunday9pm–12am

Asian Moh Mahmood

Global Sounds 94.7, 104.1 FM & 1035 AM Sunday5pm–7pm

African Caribbean Ony Bright

Roots and Culture 94.7, 104.1 FM & 1035 AM Sunday7pm–8pm

African Caribbean and others

Cynthia Brooks

Gospel Inspiration 88.6, 94.7, 104.1 FM & 1035 AM Sunday6am–7am, 6pm–7pm

African Caribbean John McPherson

Asian Connection 94.6 & 104.1 FM

BBC RADIO STOKE

Sunday2pm–3pm

Asian Sajhida Ahmed

Asian Network (Luton) 630 & 1161 AM

BBC THREE COUNTIES

Monday–Friday7pm–9pm

Asian Bhagwant SagooDJ Ritu

Black Mix 95.6 FM (Beds), 104.5 FM(Bucks) & 103.8 FM (Herts)

Saturday6pm–8pm

African Caribbean Annette GriffithSerena Gray

Angie Greaves 95.6 FM (Beds), 104.5 FM(Bucks) & 103.8 FM (Herts)

Saturday8pm–10pm

African Caribbean Angie GreavesErica Gordon

Mundo Italiano 95.6 FM (Beds), 104.5 FM(Bucks) & 103.8 FM (Herts)

Sunday4pm–5pm

Italian Roberto Perrone

Irish Link 95.6 FM (Beds), 104.5 FM(Bucks) & 103.8 FM (Herts)

Sunday5pm–6pm

Irish Gerry ByrneJohn Ward

Sangam 630 & 1161 AM

BBC WILTSHIRE SOUND

Sunday6pm–8pm

Asian Rizvana Sheik

Black Echo 95.6 FM (Beds) & 104.5(Bucks) & 103.8 FM (Herts)

Sunday8pm–10pm

African Caribbean Evadney Campbell

Herdle White Show 95.6 FM

BBC RADIO WM

Ben Turner’s Talent Factory

95.6 FM

Saturday8pm–11pm

African Caribbean Herdle WhiteTamara Oldacre

Judy Simpson Show 95.6 FM Sunday8pm–11pm

African Caribbean Judy SimpsonOrlando McGowan

Frank Stewart’s GospelShow

95.6 FM Sunday11pm–1am

African Caribbean Frank Stewart

Late Night 1035 AM Saturday11pm–1am

Asian Waheed Akhtar

Filimi Duniya 1035 AM Sunday7pm–9pm

Asian Mohammed YasinMushtaq Tufail

Saturday11pm–1am

African Caribbean Ben Turner Michael Melbourne

To contact the programmes call the BBC’s main switchboard in your region or send an e-mail. BBC e-mail addresses: firstname.lastname@bbc.co.uk

BBC RADIO NOTTINGHAM

BBC RADIO NORTHAMPTONFREQUENCY TIME COMMUNITIES PRESENTERS

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Asian Lifewww.bbc.co.uk/asianlifeAn online magazine packed with news,competitions and film reviews.The 'residentranter',Tazeen Ahmad (also presents BBCChoice’s 60seconds news bulletin) lets offsteam.Who or what is she dissing this week?The events listing is comprehensive and thereare plenty of health and fashion tips. If food isyour passion, there’s a great selection of recipes.

United Colourswww.bbc.co.uk/london/yourlondon/coloursLondon has a great mix of cultures. United Coloursfrom BBC London celebrates ten of the larger groupssuch as West Africans and Pakistanis.There is a shorthistory on each, event listings, and legal advice.

Asian Networkwww.bbc.co.uk/england/asiannetworkAccompanies the award-winning Asian network radio.Features presenter profiles, schedules, celebrity interviews,and fashion tips. See what’s going on at all the big eventswith the Photo Tour or send a friend an e-card.

Network East www.bbc.co.uk/asianlife/tv/network_east_lateAcompanies the TV programme.This site is red hot! Presentersshare their thoughts on video interviews, and highlights of pastprogrammes are available.Your thoughts about the series can beleft under ‘Messages’ whilst free tickets are available for future shows.

Multicultural Historywww.bbc.co.uk/history/community/multiculturalAn excellent blend of black history with stimulating content. Men andwomen who arrived on Windrush in 1948 tell their stories. Biographiesfor key people who contributed towards black British history are availablebut the highlight has to be The Story of Africa as told by black historians.

The Reading RoomA selection of essays by leading writers and historians. In the archives aretopics covering slavery, genealogy, economy and the British empire.They areinformative and a good starting point for further research.

Dianne Abbott on multi-racial Britainwww.bbc.co.uk/history/reading_room/dabbott-1.shtml

The Caribbean family historywww.bbc.co.uk/history/howto/carribb_family-3.shtml

Slavery and economy in Barbadoswww.bbc.co.uk/history/society_economy/empire/barbados-01.shtml

British anti-slaverywww.bbc.co.uk/history/society_economy/protest_reform/antislaveryl-1.shtml

Babyfatherwww.bbc.co.uk/babyfatherIf you missed the series, no worries.This slick, entertaining site is still worth thevisit.The Commitment Quiz will separate the loyal from the cheats. Pick upacting tips from the cast.The top ten chat-up lines will make you laugh but ifthey’re lines you use yourself, you need help!

World Servicewww.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceIncludes special sections on Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean.There’s awealth of information including news, features and forums.Also includeslinks to programmes and a guide to help you find the frequency of yourchoice.

On the Edgewww.bbc.co.uk/health/oteAs the site claims, we tend to look after our physical selves butneglect our mental health! Gives a useful guide and organisationsoffering mental health support and advice to cultural groups.

Weather Centrewww.bbc.co.uk/weather/worldweatherTravelling to Nigeria, Barbados or India this year? Want to findout whether it’ll be hot, rainy or humid? Check out theWeather Centre.A climate overview is available for your chosen country andthere are daily forecasts for individual cities.

Other BBCi multicultural sites worth a surf

Community

Mastiwww.bbc.co.uk/manchester/masti

Asian Outlookwww.bbc.co.uk/bradford/asian_bradford

Humberside – Black Historywww.bbc.co.uk/humber/features/blackhistory

Genealogy

Roots Britanniawww.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/roots_britannia

BBC Radio 3 – Multiculturalismwww.bbc.co.uk/radio3/speech

Caribbean top food tipswww.bbc.co.uk/food/vegtalk

Sites Reviewed by Christine George, BBC NewsPublicity. Before joining News Publicity in 2001,Christine was an assistant on WebGuide, theBBC’s guide to the best sites on the web.

Worth a surf...

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English RegionsArts and cultural diversity in the mainstream

We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with The ArtsCouncil of England which will enhance our coverage of African,Asian and Caribbean arts and culture in mainstream programming.The recruitment of eleven regional co-ordinators is under way.Their role will be to connect cultural and artistic communitieswith BBC local programmes, and to develop new audiences fortheir performances.We’re proud to be taking this further steptowards fulfilling our aim to reflect the cultural lives of all ouraudiences in the programmes that we make.

Proactive recruitment

In February 2002 we appointed 22 local radio trainees – top talentfrom around the country.As the result of an inclusive recruitmentstrategy emphasising understanding of diversity, we were able toattract and recruit a significant number of minority ethnic trainees.

Empowering local people

In August 2001,we recruited eleven community affairs researchers,one for each of the English Regions.Working to a News andCurrent Affairs brief, their role was to develop positiverelationships between our newsrooms and connected communities.

At the heart of communities

Our new Community Buses Open Centre projects will makebroadcasting from your street a reality. Seven BBC local radiostations will soon have their own fully broadcasting CommunityBus. By opening up our buildings as community spaces we ‘regiving more people access to broadcasting technology and avoice on their BBC.

A place for all faiths

October 2001 saw a creative fund set up to enable producers tomake imaginative and informative programmes reflecting the manyfaiths practised in the country.A religious affairs reporter has alsobeen appointed who has expertise in a diversity of religions,bringing more perspectives into our faith broadcasting.

Nurturing talent

Our Management Mentoring programme is an exciting new steptowards fulfilling our ambition to have greater diversity in oursenior management teams. Paired with a mentor who hasvolunteered to share their expertise, talented individuals areencouraged to gain practical experience in the genre of their choice.

Elonka Soros, Diversity Editor

Northern Ireland Television

Lata Sharma is now a regular face on BBC NorthernIreland having presented Shop Till You Drop and, morerecently, The Ulster Motor Show.

Radio

BBC Northern Ireland’s new radio presenters, MabelChan and Lily Braid present Wah Yan Jee Sing, a weeklyprogramme focusing on local health and social issuesin Cantonese.

Developments

We have been discussing with the Equality Commissionfor Northern Ireland how to develop relationships withthe ethnic minority population and are liaising with theuniversities to establish bursary schemes and graduateprogrammes, particularly with journalism.We are alsoplanning an open day targeting in particular the Chineseand Indian populations.

Paula McBrien, HR Consultant

Celebrating the Nations & Regions

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Scotland Diversity Traineeship

BBC Scotland is currently rolling out a second diversitytraineeship.This programme is open to people from minorityethnic communities who have a passion for working inbroadcasting.They are give a six- month training developmentprogramme encompassing production skills across radio,television and online, and they then undertake a three- monthdedicated work placement.

At the end of this period we expect them to be able to competeeffectively for work opportunities, ideally in BBC Scotland.

‘It’s Your BBC’

BBC Scotland is currently producing material highlighting thebest of our output across all media and delivering it to minorityaudiences across the country.The event will also promotework opportunities in the organisation and provide a platformfor the public to share their views on our programmes.

Suchitra Girish

“From being a trainee with E Force a year and a half ago to aresearcher with Four Corners now, my career with the BBC hasbeen challenging and exciting.As a researcher my job involvesworking on a discussion from the idea-generation level andseeing it to fruition.The most interesting part of my job isbeing able to research a wide range of international subjectsfrom across the globe and in the process being able to speakto, some really fascinating people. It’s not just a job, it’s fun!”

Recent television programmes

Ex -S – The Full Bhoona, Inside Scotland, Frontline Scotland,Sectarianism, Islam in Scotland.

Recent radio programmes

Movies and Shakers, the Brian Morten Show, Four Corners,Brit Women in Jamaican Jails.

Pat Davers, Diversity Adviser

WalesDiversity Adviser

The first BBC Wales Diversity Adviser, Lyra Saldanha, wasappointed in January 2001. Lyra works across the organisationpromoting diversity in employment, portrayal and in reachingnew audiences.A Community Liaison Organiser is currentlybeing appointed to forge closer links with schools, collegesand universities across Wales and attract people from diversebackgrounds into employment with BBC Wales.

BBC Wales multicultural youth theatre: Pulse `

BBC Wales set up the Pulse project to encourage and nurturenew talent.The aim was to provide young people with theopportunity to explore and express their creativity in a safeand stimulating environment led by artists experienced indifferent cultural, theatrical and musical traditions.

The project was launched in June 2001 with a weekend ofdance, drama, music, storytelling and hip-hop.Thirty youngpeople aged 11–14 years took part in games and activitiesthat were imaginative and fun.

Partnerships

Key events were held in November 2001 by BBC Wales incollaboration with the Commission for Racial Equality:

• a breakfast meeting to launch the first Media Roundtable inWales, the aim of which was to create a forum for discussionand sharing of good practice.

• the Welsh College of Music and Drama: helping to developand nurture talent among young black actors and writers.

• the Equality Unit at the National Assembly for Wales: to workmore closely on expanding and profiling the Diversity Awards.

Lyra Saldanha, Diversity Adviser

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In April 2001 BBC Marketing &Communications held a series ofworkshops called Reaching New Audiences.The aim was to persuade publicists,marketing executives and press officers tostart seeing the potential of marketing BBCprogrammes to diverse audiences.

My main aim as the communications personresponsible for diversity was to show that theBBC had lots to be proud of but that we had atendency to hide our light under a bushel when itcame to our multicultural programmes.

The workshops aimed to improve the waywe promote:

• mainstream programmes and services to ethnicminority audiences (e.g. Blue Planet, Walking with Beasts,Holby City)

• specialist programmes, eg Black Britain or Network East Lateto mainstream audiences (we know there is an appetiteamong white audiences for information about multiculturalcommunities in the UK)

• specialist programmes to ethnic minority audiences (ensuringour black and Asian audiences get to find out about anyspecialist programming on the BBC)

Audience and consumer research

Suzanne Bernstein, Senior Researcher organised a series of focus groupsso that we could hear first-hand what ethnic minority groups thought ofthe BBC. She also completed an excellent set of desk research on ethnicminority groups which formed the basis of the CD-ROM in this pack.

What we did

• Ran workshops aimed at improving an understanding of ethnic minoritydemographics and lifestyles in the UK and how to reach those groups throughtargeted mainstream campaigns.

• Shifted the perspective from a tendency to see black and Asian audiences asthe 3Ds – Dispossessed, Disenfranchised, Depressed – and start seeing keysections of these communities as the 3As – Articulate,Ambitious,Affluent.

• Shared knowledge about black and Asian print media, websites andmajor multicultural or faith festivals.

• Looked at the images and words we use in our on-air trails, printpublicity and press releases.

• Set up a diversity group in Marketing & Communications –chaired by Gilda Witte, Head of Radio Marketing.

The results

• Most ethnic minority communities believe the BBC hasimproved its on-air portayal.

• A closer relationship between the BBC and ethnicminority media.

• A better understanding among BBC Marketing &Communications professionals that we are doing thisfor sound business reasons.

• An understanding of the demographics which aredriving our promotions: see our free CD-ROM withthis brochure for more details.

Chantal BenjaminSenior Communications Adviser

Connecting with audiences

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Monitoring Progress AuditChecking that we aren’t missingopportunities to use a widerange of pundits and experts inour programmes

Monitoring of programmes being undertakenCost effective and efficientmonthly management reportwith diversity statistics and dataRadio Five Live is monitoring regularly

Ability to show where wehave improved in terms of on-air representation andemployment

Results show the BBC is improving

Celebrating Diversity Events

Supporting diversity throughlandmark events

Raising awareness of diversityissues amongst mainstreamcommissioners throughdiversity workshopsSupporting Race in the MediaAwards, EMMAS (EthnicMulticultural Awards),AsianMarketing Awards,The MuslimNews AwardsTaking part in festivals, egMega Mela, Notting Hill Carnival,Hindu and Islamic festivals

Ethnic minoritycommunities are becomingaware that the BBC is moreaccessible to them than it hasbeen in the past

Our editors and producersfind there events useful forlearning more about diverse groups

Seeking New Talent BBC Talent

The BBC is very aware that itneeds to broaden its gene poolin order to attract the mostcreative people to thecorporation. BBC Talent aimsto ensure the BBC continuesto be the UK’s most powerfulcultural institution. Resultsrefer to the 2001 scheme. Fordetails of BBC Talent 2002 visitwww.bbc.co.uk/talent

Urban Choice scheme, 44%of the applicants are fromethnic backgrounds; 18% ofactors through to the finalworkshops are ethnicallydiverse. For Five Live Sport, 9%of finalists are from ethnicbackgrounds as are 13% ofVisionaries entrants

Sangita Myska has presentedtwo reports for Summer Holiday.She also reports regularly onBBC One O'Clock News andrecently presented the six-partseries Lifting the BonnetSuneet Misra covered a 30-minute special for Eastern VibesDarshna Soni and IanPalmer both secured reportercontracts with the BBC in thewake of the competitionElaine Parke, a freelancejournalist, started a contract asa correspondent for the OneO’Clock News in February 2001David Bromfield secured a three-monthpresenter/researcher contractwith the Tomorrow’s World team

Mercy Ojelade was cast in Holby City in February 2002Kasey Clarke was working asa waitress at Pizza Express when she applied to BBC Talent. She is now working as a broadcastassistant on 1Xtra - the BBC’s digital radio station launching insummer 2002

Recruitment &Training

RecruitmentAiming to have a 10% ethnicminority workforce by end2003TrainingNeed to ensure all staff arehelped to develop their fullpotential

ASCENDMentoring and developmentUniversity of Westminster and BBC SportCareer fairs, eg AfricanCaribbean Finance Forum(ACFF);APEX Media CareersForumWindsor FellowshipFair Selection TrainingDiversity training workshopswithin Human Resources

ASCEND is a bespoke trainingand development courseespecially tailored for ethnicminorities, 75% of whom werestuck on lower grades at theBBC. Eighty staff have now beenaccepted onto the programmeUniversity of Westminster and BBC Sport: Twelveminority ethnic trainees takenon as a result of this partnership

Appointed Maxine Watson,Development Executive withinBBC Television (former SeriesEditor of Black Britain).This is asenior role involving commissioningblack independents and AfricanCaribbean programmes acrossBBC TV channelsAppointed Pat Younge, Head ofProgrammes and Planning Sport.A mainstream senior appointmentfor one of the industry’s mostwell-known high fliersAppointed Seetha Kumar,Head of Adult Learning

What we’ve done...

Business casesHelping programme makers,editors, commissioners andnetwork controllersunderstand the BBC’s businesscase for diversity, and why itmatters to us

News Diversity Roadshowworkshops for seniorprogramme makers acrosstelevision, radio and BBCiDiversity Centre fundsDiversity ImplementationGroups (DIGs)Diversity Specialistsappointed, eg in News andRadio DramaIslam workshops and briefingsIdentifying Nations’ andRegions’ needs around diversity

Reached almost 2000journalists. Benefits canalready be heard on air withinNews and Current Affairs.Greater awareness that manydifferent ethnic groups arewatching and listening Job-swap between the BBCand The VoiceDiversity Co-ordinator sits inmorning meetings, advises on keystories of the day and ensuresjournalists are across ethnicminority news stories.

Mainstreaming diversity issues so that they are not thesole prerogative of ethnicminority staff or targetedprogrammes

What does it mean? What’s the BBC doing? Results CommentsSubject

Sharing ConsumerInsights

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BBC Talent specialises in offering people the opportunity toget their first break in the business. It’s not about turningpeople into pop stars or millionaires, although this is always apossibility! It’s about nurturing and developing talent for the BBCin particular, and the media industry in general. An emphasisis placed on attracting diverse applications, especially fromethnic minorities and the North.

This year the search is on for talented individuals across thefollowing 16 areas:

• Children’s TV presenters for CBBC • Science experts to present on BBC TV • Musicians and vocalists for music of black origin • Interactive presenters for BBCi • Radio production trainees • Urban sketch team • New film-makers • Sports reporters• Sitcom writers• Young wildlife reporters • New animators for BBC Choice • Programme developers for BBC Radio Five Live • Scottish drama directors• Entertainment ideas for BBC Scotland,

BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Wales.

“BBC Talent is all about being able to offer people their firstbreak in the business.We have been delighted with the calibreof talent that have been awarded contracts and commissionsacross the BBC to date. I’m really pleased we have had asignificant response and resulting success for black British andAsian talent. It has truly exceeded all our expectations.”Angie Stephenson, Head of BBC Talent

Find out how to enter by visiting our website atwww.bbc.co.uk/talent or see Ceefax page 597.

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Black History MonthThe BBC broadcast its largest ever range of programmescelebrating Black History Month in October 2001.

Impact: Some programmes, for example BBC Radio 4’s Blood for Britain,directed by Pam Fraser Solomon, registered a very high appreciationindex from its core Radio 4 audience.The BBC’s aim is always toilluminate experiences and events that have often been ignored bymainstream historians.

BBC RADIO 4 – Hidden History92–95FM &198LW

Betrayal – The Trial of William Davidson An afternoon play by Tanika Gupta based on the 1820 CatoStreet Conspiracy.

In Search of HutchDaily Mail diarist Nigel Dempster charts the rise and fall ofLeslie ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson, a bisexual and one of the most successful entertainers of the 1930s.He numbered both Noel Coward and EdwinaMountbatten among his lovers, but his affairs with whitewomen outraged contemporary society.

Our Children Free, HappyA group of 18th-century English philanthropiststeamed up and bought land in Sierra Leone andestablished Freetown as a settlement for freed slaves.

Blood For Britain An internationally recognised authority on bloodstorage and transfusions, black American scientistAndrew Drew played a crucial part in ensuringthat British troops had quantities of reliableplasma arriving for medical supplies duringWorld War II. His refusal to ban the use ofblack soldiers’ blood in transfusions forwhite soldiers caused controversy and ledto him withdrawing from the project.

Universal TongueA controversial tour of language and literature

from the African diaspora.

When Tiger Woods Came To Tiger BayThird generation British teenager Marcus uncovers

some uncomfortable truths when he probes hisgrandmother Queenie about his past in Tiger Bay.

Archive Hour – Blacker Than BlackActor Patrick Robinson tells the extraordinary story of

Nathaniel Wells, son of a black slave from St Kitts, whobecame the first black sheriff in Britain.

BBC RADIO 3 90–93FM

African Music Night African Music Night displayed some of the best of Africa’s music

from the Awesome Africa festival and refleced on the issues thatthe music explores, from Aids and gender politics, to myth and

history.

Caribbean NightFive hours of music and reflection on the traditions of the

Caribbean – from Curacao to Trinidad, Martinique, Jamaica and theDominican Republic. Presented by Linton Kwesi Johnson and Andy

Kershaw.

BBC KNOWLEDGEIt’s Black Entertainment

Celebration of the unique contribution that black entertainers have madeto music and cinema in the past 100 years.

Costs of Slavery:The Reparations DebateIn the United States the campaign to demand reparations for slavery is

growing fast. The Reparations Debate was chaired by Zeinab Badawi and camefrom Bristol, a city built upon the ‘African Trade’.

Black MessiahBlack Messiah explored the role of the black churches in Britain and looked at

what the future may hold for black Christianity in this country.

White Sings RobesonJamaican born bass baritone Willard White performed songs at Canterbury Cathedral

linked with the great American singer, actor and civil rights leader, Paul Robeson.

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Case Study:Your newsroom,or mine?Marina Salandy Brown, Home Editor, RadioFive Live, thinks that sometimes the best wayto try something out is to just do it! She calledMike Best, editor of The Voice and suggested ablack reporter from his newsroom should swaproles with a white reporter from BBC CurrentAffairs and Business.

The objective was to ensure both reporters got achance to experience life in a completely different kindof newsroom. For the BBC benefits would be measuredby a bulging new contacts book with diverse contributorsfor BBC,business stories; for The Voice, benefits would includean opportunity to experience the BBC from the inside.

Below we ask the journalists themselves how they coped.

“I was out doing stories on my first day at the newspaper and by theend of the week I was editor of the business page. I wouldn’t getpromoted that quickly at the BBC.”

Not the words of a bitter ex-staffer reflecting on a new job in publishing,but of Paul O’Keeffe, a senior broadcast journalist in the business radiounit of Current Affairs – and one half of a job swap project to encourageawareness of ethnic minority issues.

For a month, O’Keeffe worked for black newspaper The Voice while its seniorreporter Lester Holloway joined BBC News.The project was set up byCurrent Affairs and funded by the Diversity Centre.

For Paul O’Keeffe, the offer of a placement on The Voice was too interesting to miss,despite his concerns that he wouldn’t be up to the job.“Although I have workedin print, I thought I would be rusty,” he said.“I was also concerned that the staffwould say ‘who is this guy they’re parachuting in from the BBC just to tick a box’.”

Mike Best, editor of the newspaper, also had misgivings:“We weren’t sure how it would work,” he said.“Reporting black UK current affairs can be quite different frommainstream journalism.”

But to O’Keeffe’s relief, the staff were supportive and the most raised eyebrows camefrom BBC colleagues, surprised that they had chosen someone from Moneybox,“thearchetypal Radio 4, middle-Britain programme.”

By the end of his time there, he had a number of bylines to his name, includinga cover story exclusive.

For Lester Holloway, with little experience of broadcast media and anorganisation thousands of times larger than The Voice, it was a bit moredifficult to have the same impact on programmes. He started off atMillbank, just days after the election. Sitting on the regional desk beforestints with network news, Westminster Hour, the Today programme andFive Live’s Breakfast, Holloway picked up lots of tips about the world ofbroadcasting but didn’t make it on-air or on-screen as a reporter.

“The BBC is such a large organisation with people who are justpassing through,” he said.“Many treated me as another workexperience person, and I would perhaps have liked moreresponsibility.” But he admits that his lack of broadcasting experiencewas a problem:“I appreciate that it takes years to learn.”

Holloway did find much of interest in the BBC’s method ofapproaching news stories, however.

“The way that departments prioritise their news agendadiffer enormously,” he said. “On Westminster Hour theydelve deep into politics, but in other parts, there is asense of:We don’t want too much politics, we want toreflect what the public think.” He also found that theacceptance of and attitude towards black and Asianpeople varied.

“Clearly there has been progress, but some parts arestill overwhelmingly white and male, with the culturethat goes with that,” he pointed out.“When theideas are being discussed, there is often nothought given to how stories will impact on blackand Asian viewers.The BBC may be putting offthose viewers by not thinking about howstories will be received.”

The job swap came out of the DiversityImplementation Groups (DIGs) in BBCNews. Groups look at new ways of tryingto bring cultural diversity within themainstream of the BBC’s News agenda.

This story orginally appeared in Ariel, theBBC’s In-house weekly.

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“It’s been an exciting couple of years.We know we are not perfectbut I truly believe that, after a slow start, the BBC is now ahead of

many other media companies in terms of its commitment to adiverse workforce and diverse programmes.

“We produced this brochure because we wanted to showcase what we aredoing and also hope that other companies who are beginning to see the

business need for a diverse workforce may find some of our experiences useful.

“I know that some people will pick this up and feel we are still not doingenough, yet others will say we are doing too much. Nonetheless, I feel we can

point to a really good mix of successes and I look forward to working with mycolleagues across the BBC and our external partners to achieve more

outstanding results next year! I’d particularly like to thank the BBC’s RaceChampion, Peter Salmon for all his support this year to me and my team.”

Linda MitchellHead of Diversity, BBC

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