The BBC will require all TV shows to hit 25% off-screen representation targets after spending double the amount it expected to spend on diverse content since 2021.
With the first three years of its much-discussed creative diversity commitments having come to an end, the corporation said today that it will up representation by 5% points in terms of ethnic diversity, disability and socioeconomic diversity on all content. This reflects its success so far and is part of its bid to better portray the nation. By last year, 82% of its shows were hitting the previous 20% target, the BBC said.Under the new commitment, indies will be asked to outline their plans to deliver the 25% target and how they will apply a new set of Inclusive Production Principles as part of the commissioning process. The BBC has said it will help with the process. The inclusive principles include areas like hair and make up for people with a variety of skin tones, and accessible requirements to help deaf, disabled and / or neurodivergent people.The targets elapsed in March 2024 and the BBC has spent the past six months forging recommendations for the next three years with the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity. The main recommendation to have emerged is the 25% recommendation.Separately, the corporation said today that it spent £243M across the 36 months from April 2021 on shows that met its criteria for diverse content. The BBC has pledged to keep this spend steady over the next three years at £240M on shows that meet two of these three criteria: ‘Diverse stories and on-screen portrayal’, ‘diverse production leadership’ and ‘diverse company leadership’.Of the targets above, the recommendations focused mainly on the latter two, saying that there are not enough senior diverse people in off-screen roles compared with on screen, creating an imbalance.Best-in-class examples included the likes of Dreaming Whilst Black, which is produced by Big Deal Films for the BBC, A24 and Showtime, comedy series Man Like Mobeen and disability doc Rose Ayling Ellis: Signs for Change, which featured a number of deaf people in behind the camera roles.Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, said: “We are committed to backing British storytelling and I recognise the important role diverse-led indies play in telling these authentic stories. By increasing our investment in diverse content and enhancing our off-screen diversity targets, we aim to create a more inclusive environment that authentically represents and resonates with all audiences.”
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