BBC Must Increase Number Of Women On Air, Trust Says

BBC Confronts Gender Problem
A general view of BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, London.
A general view of BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, London.

The BBC Trust's annual report draws out a clear proposal to "improve the representation of women on air."

The report, which outlines the news organizations priorities for 2014/2015, said that the BBC must address the "gender imbalance" in the content being produced and called on management to develop "a co-ordinated plan."

"We want the BBC to make measurable progress in reflecting better the diversity of the UK population in the BBC’s workforce and its output, in particular increasing the number of women on air," the report read.

The Guardian's John Plunkett pointed out that the BBC Trust's demand -- which it first stated last December -- comes after consistent criticism and repeated requests for more women.

The BBC Trust stated that all efforts to bring more women on air would be part of a "wider diversity strategy" to represent and serve all audiences. The report noted that there had been attempts to address the gender inequality issue in the past, such as an initiative to ensure that 50 percent of BBC local radio stations have a female breakfast presenter.

A recent study by the Women's Media Center illustrates this gender problem in one chart, highlighting that the news is anchored by a man about 60 percent of the time.

(h/t: Poynter)

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