BBC Radio & Music Earmarks £12 Million to Creative Diversity

BBC Radio & Music has earmarked £12 million for the creation of diverse and inclusive content over the next three years.

Or earmarked £12 million to pandering to minorities, depending on your point of view.

The impoverished national broadcaster, which was slammed in Parliament for its begging bowl behaviour earlier today, will use the money to create programmes for its national radio stations and the BBC Sounds media service.

The money - the equivalent of 76,000 TV licence fees - will come from existing budgets and is part of the BBC's wider ambition to increase the creative diversity of its output.

James Purnell, BBC Director of Radio & Education, said: "Aided by these commitments, we will build a diverse, creative future for BBC Radio & Music, relevant to all our audiences. We'll hear more diverse stories, voices and experiences on air, and open up the BBC and the whole industry for people to thrive in, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

"Last month we signed up to the Equality in Audio Pact, an initiative which kick-started a hugely important discussion in the industry, and today we are putting forward our commitments which we hope will add to the overall ambition of the audio sector to change and become more representative.”

June Sarpong, BBC Director of Creative Diversity, said: "I am proud that the BBC is accelerating the pace of change and boosting our commitment to diverse talent - with a specific focus on race, disability and class - ensuring that the creativity of some of our most underrepresented communities is unleashed and included. 

"Building on our Creative Diversity Commitment for TV, these changes will make a huge difference to our Radio and Music teams, the wider audio industry, and what listeners can expect to hear on the BBC."

Last month the BBC announced a £100 million Corporation-wide initiative to increase the creative diversity of its programmes.

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