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Lenny Henry: BBC diversity push risks ‘blaming the victim’ Lenny Henry: BBC diversity push risks ‘blaming the victim’
(43 minutes later)
Lenny Henry has taken issue with the BBC’s new initiatives to improve diversity in TV, saying they risk “blaming the victim”.Lenny Henry has taken issue with the BBC’s new initiatives to improve diversity in TV, saying they risk “blaming the victim”.
The actor and comedian, a leading critic of the sector’s “appalling” record on diversity, said he welcomed director general Tony Hall’s new measures, announced last month, and said he had “never heard such commitment to diversity training before”.The actor and comedian, a leading critic of the sector’s “appalling” record on diversity, said he welcomed director general Tony Hall’s new measures, announced last month, and said he had “never heard such commitment to diversity training before”.
But Henry, who has called on broadcasters to ringfence a minimum amount of money for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) productions, said the initiatives, including a £2.1m diversity creative talent fund, “runs the real risk of blaming the victim for their own victimhood”.But Henry, who has called on broadcasters to ringfence a minimum amount of money for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) productions, said the initiatives, including a £2.1m diversity creative talent fund, “runs the real risk of blaming the victim for their own victimhood”.
“Although the vast majority – like myself – welcome the new training and development initiatives, they have a fear,” said Henry.“Although the vast majority – like myself – welcome the new training and development initiatives, they have a fear,” said Henry.
“The fear of being blamed. [The] truth is, training and development runs the real risk of blaming the victim for their own victimhood. It says to BAME people that the reason they have hit the glass ceiling is because they are not good enough and they need more training. It says to BAME production companies that the reason we don’t commission from them is because they aren’t good enough – they need more development time and money.”“The fear of being blamed. [The] truth is, training and development runs the real risk of blaming the victim for their own victimhood. It says to BAME people that the reason they have hit the glass ceiling is because they are not good enough and they need more training. It says to BAME production companies that the reason we don’t commission from them is because they aren’t good enough – they need more development time and money.”
Henry, who was addressing politicians, broadcasters and lobby groups at culture minister Ed Vaizey’s second round table on diversity on Monday, said: “We’ve never addressed the glass ceiling for women by telling them they are the problem. We’ve acknowledged men need to change their attitudes and we now often expressly seek female candidates for top jobs.Henry, who was addressing politicians, broadcasters and lobby groups at culture minister Ed Vaizey’s second round table on diversity on Monday, said: “We’ve never addressed the glass ceiling for women by telling them they are the problem. We’ve acknowledged men need to change their attitudes and we now often expressly seek female candidates for top jobs.
“We didn’t address the lack of regional diversity by telling Scottish and Welsh companies they were not good enough. No – we ringfenced money for them and made them centres of excellence.”“We didn’t address the lack of regional diversity by telling Scottish and Welsh companies they were not good enough. No – we ringfenced money for them and made them centres of excellence.”
The meeting, attended by culture secretary Sajid Javid and broadcasters including ITV director of television Peter Fincham and Stuart Murphy, director of entertainment at Sky, came six months after Vaizey’s first “diversity summit” at which Henry laid out his “Henry plan” to reverse the fall in the number of black and Asian people in the creative industries.The meeting, attended by culture secretary Sajid Javid and broadcasters including ITV director of television Peter Fincham and Stuart Murphy, director of entertainment at Sky, came six months after Vaizey’s first “diversity summit” at which Henry laid out his “Henry plan” to reverse the fall in the number of black and Asian people in the creative industries.
The measures, described by the director general as a “talent-led approach that will help set the pace in the media industry” stopped short of a specific ringfenced fund for production as Henry had proposed.The measures, described by the director general as a “talent-led approach that will help set the pace in the media industry” stopped short of a specific ringfenced fund for production as Henry had proposed.
Henry said the two plans were “actually complimentary … My proposal is that the BBC should agree to roll out the Henry plan in two years’ time, once their new initiatives have had time to bed in. Other broadcasters could either jump in and test the Henry plan, or implement it at the same time as the BBC.”Henry said the two plans were “actually complimentary … My proposal is that the BBC should agree to roll out the Henry plan in two years’ time, once their new initiatives have had time to bed in. Other broadcasters could either jump in and test the Henry plan, or implement it at the same time as the BBC.”
Henry said the representation of BAME people in television was “getting worse. Both in front and behind the cameras, things are either not good enough or are actually going backwards. BAME people are watching 50% less terrestrial television a week than their white counterparts.” He said the representation of BAME people in television was “getting worse. Both in front and behind the cameras, things are either not good enough or are actually going backwards. BAME people are watching 50% less terrestrial television a week than their white counterparts.”
Henry, who addressed the issue in his Bafta lecture earlier this year, added: “Behind closed doors people have said to me, ‘Lenny, we would love to do this but there just aren’t enough talented BAME people out there to make the programmes.’Henry, who addressed the issue in his Bafta lecture earlier this year, added: “Behind closed doors people have said to me, ‘Lenny, we would love to do this but there just aren’t enough talented BAME people out there to make the programmes.’
“I disagree with them. It is the same mindset that led people to say there weren’t good enough black British actors to be leads until America realised there were. Until they saw Idris Elba in The Wire or Chewitel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave.”“I disagree with them. It is the same mindset that led people to say there weren’t good enough black British actors to be leads until America realised there were. Until they saw Idris Elba in The Wire or Chewitel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “We have recently set out far-reaching plans, with a variety of approaches, that we believe will make a tangible difference.”
Simon Albury, chair of the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality who also attended the meeting, said: “There’s a long way to go, but I have never seen the level of commitment on the issue of BAME employment that’s being shown now. It’s clear that Ed Vaizey is driving this process and expects to see more change.”Simon Albury, chair of the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality who also attended the meeting, said: “There’s a long way to go, but I have never seen the level of commitment on the issue of BAME employment that’s being shown now. It’s clear that Ed Vaizey is driving this process and expects to see more change.”
The BBC’s creative director, Alan Yentob, last week defended Hall’s strategy on diversity. He told Radio 4’s The Media Show that the BBC was “not being complacent” but admitted it was “difficult to make excuses” for the lack of progress in BAME representation on and off screen. The BBC’s creative director, Alan Yentob, last week defended Hall’s strategy on diversity. He told Radio 4’s The Media Show that the BBC was “not being complacent” but admitted it was “difficult to make excuses” for the lack of progress in BAME representation on- and off-screen.
“The person running this is the director general of the BBC – he has not delegated it to someone else – he feels passionate about this and he wants to get it right,” Yentob said.“The person running this is the director general of the BBC – he has not delegated it to someone else – he feels passionate about this and he wants to get it right,” Yentob said.
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