One in Seven BBC Presenters and Actors to Be Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority under New Lord Hall Pledge

Lord Hall, the BBC's director-general, wants to extend the £145.50
annual fee in response to the growing popularity of the iPlayer 

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: BBC pledge to improve diversity will see one in seven of its presenters and actors being black, Asian or from an ethnic minority

One in every seven BBC presenters and actors is to be black, Asian or minority ethnic within the next three years, it has been announced, as Lord Hall pledges to improve diversity.

Lord Hall, the director-general, has promised 15 per cent of on-air BBC staff will be black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) by 2017, along with one in ten managers.

Speaking at the BBC’s Elstree Studios, he announced a new action group to help advise on the changes, including comedian Lenny Henry, athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and broadcaster Baroness Floella Benjamin.

Lord Hall said: “The BBC gets much right on diversity, but the simple fact is that we need to do more. I am not content for the BBC to be merely good or above average.

“I want a new talent-led approach that will help set the pace in the media industry. I believe in this and want our record to be beyond reproach. » | Hannah Furness, Arts correspondent | Friday, June 20, 2014