Diversity and equal opportunities in television

This is our second diversity in television broadcasting report (PDF, 4.8 MB).

The summary report presents our key findings across the main five television broadcasters that Ofcom regulates. Further information on the main five broadcasters can be found in the in-focus report (PDF, 1.2 MB) and a third report sets out our findings from the total television industry (PDF, 1.9 MB). All data is for the period of April 2017 to March 2018. We published a separate report on radio in June 2018.

Ofcom has a duty to promote equality of opportunity in relation to employment in the broadcast sector. We can ask broadcasters to provide information about their equal opportunities policies and the make-up of their workforce.

Like last year, we required broadcasters to provide data on the three protected characteristics where we have powers to do so: gender; racial group; and disability. In addition, we have requested information on other protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010: age; sexual orientation; religion
or belief; pregnancy and maternity; and gender reassignment.

This year we also asked broadcasters to tell us about the work they have been doing around social mobility/social and economic diversity.

Diversity and equal opportunities in television 2018 report

This summary report focuses on the diversity of the main five UK broadcasters: the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky and Viacom. We compare them, by characteristic, to UK labour workforce averages and the wider UK-based TV broadcasting industry and highlight some of their key initiatives.

Diversity and equal opportunities in television 2018 report (PDF, 4.8 MB)

Amrywiaeth a chyfle cyfartal yn y diwydiant teledu 2018 (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Video

Ofcom asked the leaders of the five main broadcasters, and the people working there, for their reflections on diversity and equality in the UK television industry.

In-focus report and broadcaster interviews

Our in-focus report provides detailed analysis across each of the main five and includes a more comprehensive write-up of the initiatives and strategies they have implemented to tackle under-representation.

This is the first report from Ofcom’s new, annual Diversity in Broadcasting monitoring programme, which will reveal how well broadcasters are promoting equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion in employment.

This report presents our main findings across the UK-based television broadcasters that Ofcom regulates. It does not include radio, as we will begin a similar exercise across the radio industry later this year.

We have required broadcasters to provide data on the three characteristics where we have powers to do so: gender, racial group, and disability. In addition, we have requested data on other ‘protected characteristics’ in the Equality Act 20104: age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment.

Our report focuses on the main five UK broadcasters: the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky and Viacom. The report examines diversity across job roles, job levels, completion of training and development, promotions, joiners and leavers.

Report

Diversity and equal opportunities in television 2017 report (PDF, 2.2 MB)

Amrywiaeth a chyfle cyfartal mewn teledu: Adroddiad monitro ar y diwydiant darlledu yn y DU  (PDF, 8.8 MB)

Total industry report

This document looks at the profile of broadcasters across the total UK television industry in 2016. We required broadcasters to complete an information request by questionnaire.

Total television industry  (PDF, 2.7 MB)

UK-based broadcasters report

This document provides more in-depth analysis across the UK-based television broadcasters who had 98% or more of their employees based in the UK in 2016. We required all television broadcasters with an Ofcom licence, the BBC and S4C to complete a questionnaire providing us with data on the make-up of their workforce across the three protected characteristics where we have powers to do so: gender, racial group, and disability. In addition, we requested data on other protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010: age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment.

UK-based television industry (PDF, 2.9 MB)

Y diwydiant teledu yn y DU (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Methodology

This section outlines the methodology used in carrying out the data collection. All elements of the survey including questionnaire design, fieldwork and analysis were conducted in-house by Ofcom’s market research team.

Methodology   (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Steps taken by broadcasters to promote equal opportunities

This document summarises some of the key findings from the television broadcasters’ arrangements for promoting equal opportunities. It does not seek to cover all the information that broadcasters provided to us, and they may have more measures in place than they have shared with Ofcom, but instead focuses on the types of initiatives in place and examples of their use.

Steps taken by broadcasters to promote equal opportunities (PDF, 514.9 KB)