Lenny Henry has urged Ofcom, the media regulator, to reconsider its “strangely passive decision” not to force the BBC to increase the diversity of its workforce.

Writing for the Guardian, the actor and comedian said the publication of the BBC’s annual report and list of top earners last month showed there was a “long way to go” in improving off-screen diversity at the corporation.

Ofcom, please listen. More racial diversity on TV means seeing the bigger picture | Lenny Henry Read more

BBC and Ofcom are under growing pressure to improve diversity at the broadcaster. The list of the BBC’s top earners revealed the 10 highest-paid stars from a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) background collectively received about the same as Chris Evans last year, while Henry said the corporation’s statistics also revealed that BAME staff were less likely than white colleagues to be promoted, reach senior management or receive a pay-off when they leave. The BBC is missing its own targets for racial diversity in six of its 10 divisions, he added.

The BBC has said about 14% of its staff are from a BAME background, but Henry has claimed the number of BAME people responsible for making programmes is closer to 1.5%.

“There are definitely more people of colour on our television screens, and more women in high-profile positions. But the fact is that while things might look like they are getting better, if you scratch the surface there is still a long way to go. The gender pay gap still persists, and the people who make TV programmes are still far from diverse,” Henry said.



“I believe that if we want to change our industry we must look beyond what we see on our TV screens and fix the bigger problems lying beneath. When it comes to racial diversity that means looking at who commissions and makes the programmes.”



Ofcom became the first independent regulator of the BBC earlier this year and published a draft operating licence that outlined how it plans to monitor the corporation.

This operating licence did not propose a target for increasing the number of BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) staff working behind the scenes at the BBC, sparking a backlash among campaigners.

A consultation into the draft operating licence closed last week, with the National Union of Journalists, Directors UK, the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality and the charity Stonewall among the groups calling on Ofcom to do more to improve diversity at the BBC.

In its submission, the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality said the BBC’s latest annual plan “fails to set credible goals based on credible data” regarding diversity and that Ofcom “no longer needs to wait” before taking action.

Simon Albury, the chair of the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality, said: “Diversity in employment is a human issue. BAME people cannot be treated like spectrum, fibre and copper wire, which have no memory. Ofcom has limited experience of dealing with human issues.

“On employment diversity, Ofcom must stop being a reluctant regulator. Ofcom prides itself on operating as an evidence-based regulator but it has failed to look and see the history of an absence of diversity and the complete evidence of diversity failure at the BBC.”

Henry said there was widespread agreement across the industry that more needed to be done, but added: “There is just one problem. Ofcom, the body which would be responsible for setting any targets for the broadcasters, doesn’t agree with me. Or with the leading industry figures. Or with the unions. Or with the cross-party politicians.”



Henry said he had met a TV executive from a BAME background who had a nervous breakdown because of prejudice and a lack of trust in her abilities at work, as well as a young female actor who was considering moving to Los Angeles because she was struggling to find work in the UK.



“It feels as if everyone is behind us, that we’ve won significant battles but, unfortunately, we are no further down the road when it comes to winning the war,” Henry added.

“However, I am still hopeful. Ofcom also said that it may yet change its mind, and will come to a final decision in September: we can only hope it will reconsider its strangely passive decision.

“Having met many black and minority individuals from our industry, I know they would all welcome the chance to compete on a level playing field. If we’re to make real progress towards diversity on our TV screens, Ofcom needs to listen to us.”



The BBC has said it has one of the most diverse workforces in the UK. By 2020, it is aiming for half of its presenters to be women and for the gender pay gap to be closed by 2020. It also wants 15% of staff to come from a BAME background by the same year.

Ofcom proposed in its draft operating licence that the BBC should report annually on how it has reflected, represented and served the diverse communities of the UK. It also called on the BBC to draw up a diversity code of practice that explains how the corporation will commission programmes that authentically reflect the population.

The regulator is expected to make a final decision on the operating licence and whether to include targets for off-screen diversity as early as next month.



An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We completely agree with Sir Lenny that diversity must increase across the industry. We will soon publish the most comprehensive survey of major broadcasters’ diversity performance, shining a light on where they must improve. As the BBC’s regulator, we will hold the corporation to account for improving representation on and off screen, and we welcome all views before finalising the new licence.”