This should should have been blogged on the day. Never too late!
Christiana Ebohon-Green cut through the Ofcom controlled complacency to tell today’s Ofcom diversity conference (30 Sept 2021):
“ I would like to see more action – to stop having these conversations because we’ve solved it! We’re talking about inequality. The playing field is not balanced. It’s not fair. So whatever we can do as quickly as possible to get it right, for many people that are disadvantaged, we should be doing as quickly as we can – because it’s not right. For me as a black woman, to think I can’t, achieve my full potential because of my gender and because of my race – it’s appalling. Whatever we can do to rectify this, we should be doing “
This conference demonstrated just how snuggly Ofcom and the broadcasters it regulates fit in each others pockets. Every session, bar one, was produced by one of the broadcasters. Hardly surprising that a spirit of complacency and self satisfaction infused the whole event until, at the end, Christiana Ebohon-Green spoke out. The Ofcom conference contrasted with the series of diversity round tables that Ed Vaizey organised when he was broadcasting minister. Xritical diversity activists were invited into Vaizey’s tent and he listened and acted on what he heard. But that was long ago…….
Campaign for Broadcasting Equality 