LONDON (Reuters) – The British government asked the BBC to aim for one in four of its staff to be from low socio-economic backgrounds as it launched a review of the broadcaster to consider if reforms were needed to help it achieve “greater impartiality.”
Created to educate, inform and entertain, the BBC has been admired around the world for its high-quality news output, drama and documentaries by broadcasters such as David Attenborough.
But in recent years it has struggled to navigate the heightened political and cultural disputes gripping Britain, notably about Brexit, with critics saying its London-centric, metropolitan viewpoint fails swathes of the country.
“This review will build on our recent progress to make the BBC more accountable to those who fund it, level up people’s access to the job opportunities it offers and ensure it continues to work in the best interest of the public,” Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said in a statement.
The government’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport department (DCMS) said it would look at the effectiveness of the licence-payer funded BBC’s editorial complaints process in addition to inspecting its impact on the wider media landscape.
DCMS added that it has issued a new legal direction to the century-old broadcaster to ensure it promotes equality of opportunity for people from working class backgrounds.
This includes a target for one in four of the BBC’s staff to be from low socio-economic backgrounds, making sure 60% of radio and 50% of TV programme production spend is outside London by the end of 2027, and delivering 1,000 apprenticeships per year by 2025.
DCMS also added that the government would soon launch a separate review of the BBC licence fee and the feasibility of alternative funding models.
(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James and Kylie MacLellan)
