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BBC must show more ethnic minorities and women for diversity, Ofcom warns

Sharon White, head of Ofcom, said the BBC should become more relevant: Ofcom
Sharon White, head of Ofcom, said the BBC should become more relevant: Ofcom

The BBC must show more ethnic minorities, women and older people in order to boost diversity, regulator Ofcom has said.

The media watchdog said the public often consider the way BBC programmes portray older generations, females and non-white people as “neutral at best” and sometimes negative.

Sharon White, head of regulator Ofcom, said: “The BBC can and should become more relevant to certain parts of its audience.

"Too many older people, particularly women, feel they are negatively portrayed on TV, one in five viewers in Scotland and one in four in Northern Ireland feel the same way.

"This is a challenge for the whole industry, as broadcasters play a vital role in reflecting the values of our culture, and at the same time the BBC has a key responsibility to lead - it should strive to serve the needs of all corners of the UK's nations and their diversity.

"The BBC can also do more, I feel, to broaden its talent pool, helping to ensure that brilliant individuals, whatever their socioeconomic background, are able to forge a successful career in TV and radio."

Ofcom will take over as the broadcaster’s new regulator alongside a new BBC Board, outlined in a Government charter, next month.

The news comes the same day as BBC quiz programme University Challenge came under fire for a lack of diversity on teams.

Ms White added Ofcom’s role was not to influence specific programming or scheduling but to ensure it upholds its reputation of being trusted and impartial.

"This has never mattered more, especially in the news, during this time of political upheaval in the west, where people are trying to work out what's going on amid a sea of voices and fake news," she said.

A BBC spokesperson said: "As Sharon White said, there are challenges facing the whole industry and while the BBC has already made significant progress in reflecting the full diversity of today's UK on and off air, we've set out plans to do even more."