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CDN unveils first UK diversity findings

UK monitoring group The Creative Diversity Network (CDN), which is backed by major local broadcasters, has revealed the first findings from its inaugural report into representation across the country’s TV industry.

Deborah Williams speaking at Edinburgh International TV Festival this week

Diamond: The First Cut covers programmes commissioned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Viacom-owned Channel 5 and Sky, and includes all genres apart from news and sport.

Females, who make up 51% of the population, were represented by just over 48% of those on-screen, while those over 50 years of age, who make up 36% of the population, accounted for only 24%.

The disabled were also under-represented on screen, represented by just 6.5% of those on TV despite making up 18% of the population.

Those from a BAME background, an estimated 13% of the population, made up 21.5% of those on screen but less than 10% work behind the camera, despite accounting for 13% of the workforce.

The findings also recorded the off-screen workforce was 55% female, against a labour workforce figure of 47%.

The CDN said it had recorded more than 80,000 contributions between August 15, 2016 and July 30, 2017 from almost 6,000 individual contributors, but only 24% of those asked to respond had done so. The project also caused controversy as it did not break down each broadcaster’s own figures.

The CDN, which is chaired by John McVay, CEO of UK trade body Pact, said the system was still being developed and added it would not be offering conclusions on the recent figures because of the “modest level” of data collected to date.

“However, the CDN is releasing this ‘first cut’ of the data in the spirit of transparency and one year on from its launch, as promised,” it added.

In future years, the CDN said broadcasters would be able to use the data to take action to increase diversity within channels and at supplier level.

Diamond, which the CDN claims to be a “world first,” sees competing broadcasters collecting and publishing diversity data together to reveal whether the workforce on UK productions, both on- and off-screen, reflects the diversity of the country.

It is also focused on whether “audiences of all kinds” are seeing themselves reflected on screen.

Deborah Williams, CEO of the CDN, said the report “represents a committed decision by leading UK broadcasters to deliver a change. Now we need every individual within the industry to support the project by entering their data when asked and we will have a real opportunity to take Diamond to the next level and bring about the ambitious change we all want.”

The CDN was formed by Pact, Bafta, the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5/Viacom, Creative Skillset, ITN, ITV, Media Trust, S4C, Sky and Turner Broadcasting to promote, celebrate and share good practice around diversity.

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