Does All This Make Your 'blood Boil'?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10914219/One-in-seven-BBC-presenters-and-actors-to-be-black-Asian-or-ethnic-minority-under-new-Lord-Hall-pledge.html

/// Critics have already condemned the policy as “absolutely ridiculous”, claiming recruitment should be conducted irrespective of race and without the “PC tokenism that makes people’s blood boil”. ///

/// The corporation will also establish a £2.1million “Diversity Creative Talent Fund”, which will be “reprioritised from other budgets” to help change the portrayal of ethnic minorities in its programmes. ///

/// An “Independent Diversity Action Group”, chaired by Lord Hall, will help to oversee the changes, and will include Lenny Henry, Nihal, the Asian Network presenter, Tanya Motie, the BBC executive, Daniel Oudkerk QC, writer George Mpanga, and footballer Jason Roberts. ///

Well it seems that Lenny Henry has landed himself a nice little earner in this latest BBC quango, maybe he will now be able to afford to stay in 5 star hotels rather than his usual Premier Inns?

[woofgang]

no not really.

[weecalf]

Don't bother me if it means shipping some of the sports experts overland to make things equal in other areas of this this great world .

[naomi24]

It doesn't make my blood boil, but it saddens me because it achieves the opposite of what it's intended to achieve - in this instance it exacerbates racism. When we reach a stage where we acknowledge that people are people and give the job to the best person for the job, regardless of race, creed, colour, gender, or age, then we'll be some way towards achieving civilised society.

[Gromit]

13% of the population are not white British. The BBC and any other public/Government organisation should try and refect that in their pool of personel.

As the BBC also run a World Service, employing foreign speaking employees from the 13% none white British should be quite natural and easily attained without resporting to any dubious 'positive' discrimination.

So no. It does not make my blood boil.

[Gromit]

Baroness Floella Benjamin.

I had no idea the Play School presented was now in the Lords. Apparently nominated by the LibDems in 2010.

[woofgang]

evidently we are all nicely chilled this morning....sorry AOG

[pixie373]

"Blood boil" is a bit strong. As Naomi says, it's just very sad. Colour should be completely irrelevant. What happens if there are not so many "non-whites" who want to be presenters? Presumably, 51% will be female and 33% over 65 too? How about people with disabilities? What percentage do we need there?
They need to start remembering people are individual and not just a representative of arbitrary groups.

[pixie373]

...and what happens if somebody is black, disabled and a lesbian? Can they be counted 3 times?

[Gromit]

// The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting news, speech and discussions in 28 languages to many parts of the world on analogue and digital shortwave platforms, internet streaming, podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays. The World Service was reported to have reached 188 million people a week on average in June 2009. It does not carry advertising, and the English language service broadcasts 24 hours a day. //

Considering the job the BBC does, then it is quite right that it employs a very diverse workforce.

[andy-hughes]

No it doesn't make my blood boil, but very little does.

I am with Naomi on this - it's sad that people take these ham fisted approaches to sensitive subjects. It makes the policy look like what it is, a pompous ill-thought-out sop to appease critics of a genuine grievance, which pleases no-one, least of all the license-fee payer who funds the whole nonsense.

[DrFilth]

gromit the bbc world service has had ads over 20 years

> BBC news services abroad already carry advertising. BBC World News has carried adverts for more than 20 years and the BBC World Service has carried advertising on three of its websites, and on its Berlin FM relay, since 2012.

[Baldric]

Couldn't care less, If I don't like who or what is on, I will get the OH to change channels!

[RandyMarsh]

Nope, not a bit.

[anotheoldgit]

Baldric

/// Couldn't care less, If I don't like who or what is on, I will get the OH to change channels! ///

Spoken like a truly liberated man, a very rare person these days. :0)

[douglas9401]

Anything that delays the production of any more Rudy's Rare Records is to be welcomed and supported.

[joeluke]

It's typical BBC, the roles should be given to the best candidates regardless of their colour

[atalanta]

All applicants for all jobs should be anonymous. Names should be supplied in envelopes with code numbers only, and not revealed until after one applicant has been successful. According to recent research, interviewing only increases the interviewers' biases, so decisions should be made on the basis of application forms/letters and references only. Candidates must be warned that any lies told by any candidate would result in instant dismissal if appointed.

[boxtops]

I've noticed lately, particularly on BBC TV, that the reporters who go to certain locations appear to be deliberately chosen to mirror the ethnicity of the people they are reporting on. It seems false to me.

[DaisyNonna]

Pixie, 4, would need to be female.

[pixie373]

Good point, daisy.