Channel 4 has launched a protest against the appointment of four white directors to its board in a row over ethnic diversity – even though one of the five new appointees is non-white, a proportion of 20% in a country where 18% are from ethnic minorities. The Telegraph has the story.
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, on Monday approved the appointment of five new non-executive directors to join the broadcaster’s board, four of whom are white.
The move sparked criticism from Sir Ian Cheshire, the Chairman of Channel 4, who warned that the board was lagging behind its own diversity targets.
In an internal memo seen by the Telegraph, Sir Ian said: “These appointments will improve representation on the board but do not yet meet the levels of representation throughout the rest of the organisation.
“Appointments to the board are not ultimately in our control due to procedural reasons but we are committed to continuing to push for further progress.”
Following the appointments, Channel 4’s board will have 15 members, of whom 14, or 93%, are white. Under its remit to represent minorities the broadcaster has an overall target to draw 20% of its staff from ethnic minorities, 12% from people with disabilities and 6% from those who identify as LGBT.
The targets compare with 18% of the general population who are ethnic minorities, 18% who have disabilities and 3% who identify as LGBT.
Among the new board members is Boots Chief Executive Sebastian James, an old Etonian and former Bullingdon Club member who is close friends with Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary.
Advertising industry veteran Dame Annette King, Warner Records U.K. boss Alex Burford and entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow were also named as non-executive directors.
Tom Adeyoola, a tech entrepreneur who launched Metail, a start-up that allows retailers to showcase their clothes on AI-generated models, was the only non-white appointment. He attended St. Paul’s School in London and is now on the Board of Governors.
A spokesman of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: “DCMS is absolutely committed to advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments, to ensure that boards of public bodies benefit from a range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.
“Appointments to the Channel 4 board were made by Ofcom following a fair and open competition, with approval from the DCMS Secretary of State.”
Channel 4 was founded under Margaret Thatcher in 1982 with a remit to disrupt the U.K. broadcasting landscape. It has a statutory obligation to serve young and diverse viewers, as well as those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The Government last year abandoned plans to privatise the broadcaster over fears its financial model, under which is publicly owned but entirely commercially funded, was not sustainable. Instead it was forced to move hundreds of staff to Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol to better reflect Britain’s regional diversity, in a shift that was initially strongly opposed by executives.
The broadcaster’s board members, who will serve a three-year term, are selected by media regulator Ofcom but are subject to final approval by Ms. Frazer.
It’s clear that the Government is still committed to appointing on the basis of ‘diversity’ of course, with targets that would over-represent minorities firmly in place, so this is a ‘degrees of wokery’ argument. As usual, the radical notion that race or other identity marker shouldn’t actually play a role in public appointments fails to get a look in. And notice how the fact that half the white appointments are women makes no difference anymore –the identitarians have moved on to new battlegrounds. Besides, they’re just Karens, right? Enough of them already.
Still, nice to see someone from a Government department defending “fair and open competition” for a change. Let’s see how long it lasts.
Worth reading in full.
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There will never be justice until the whole world is one minority.
One oppressed minority. You forgot the oppression.
Here’s a novel idea. How about the best person for the job gets it, irrespective of colour, race, creed, DEI, religious persuasion, sexual preferences and all the other baggage. Make a judgement on suitability for the post, and that alone.
Discriminate only on the basis of ability? You must be one of those racists the Beeb tells me about.
If the minority had sufficient ability, they could sweep the board. The (female) RAF Gp Capt in charge of recruitment resigned her commission at being told to stop selecting white male candidates for aircrew training. In my day there weren’t any other type of aircrew. Mind you, there weren’t many white dudes playing basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters either. Horses for course and all that.
The actual hiring preferences seem more skewed towards hiring the people expected to fit in best during after hours socialising (sarcasm) of the already hired staff.
Outrageous suggestion! Whatever next? RAF pilots who can actually fly their machines? English historical period dramas with mainly white people when we knew that England was choc-a-bloc with different nationalities and colours? TPTB will erect a scaffold just for you, 10nav!
Ian Cheshire, Chairman of the Board, calling for more diversity is a white man.
Can someone pass on a message that if he’s so committed to diversity he should resign and ask for a more “diverse” person – whatever that means – to replace him.
Am I the only one who feels like i’m living in an mental asylum?
No. You’re not the only one.
‘…..it was forced to move hundreds of staff to Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol’
…………….Just picking myself up off the floor……the ribs……….
Would it help if they blacked up?
“Your job is moving to Glasgow. Do you still want it?”
People ranked according to Channel 4 hiring ‘aims’:
not heterosexual: 2
not white: 1.11
other: 1.02
disabled: 0.66
The calculation isn’t exact because the percentages quoted in the article could overlap. The first one obviously stands out: People who aren’t heterosexual are by far the most preferred hirees for Channel 4. A gay guy (possibly dressed up as woman) is worth 1.96 times as much as a straight abled-bodied white one, 3.03 times as much as a straight disabled guy and still 1.8 times as much as an abled-bodied straight black guy.
Doesn’t this look a bit discriminatory and in a very weird way?
I have come to despise the words diversity, equity and inclusion.
Screw these overly sensitive assholes who bring race into everything.
Could the pursuit of diversity quotas rather than ability to do the job have anything to do with the decline in standards across so many services of late?
Apropos of race grifting related crap, the ever readable observer of human life Steve Sailer noticed this in the course catalog for the prestigious Rice University in the US, where I think Sailer himself studied. Until I followed the link I thought it was from Babylon Bee or some other satirical site.
Course Catalog – 2023-2024 (rice.edu)
“CHEM 125 – AFROCHEMISTRYLong Title: AFROCHEMISTRY: THE STUDY OF BLACK-LIFE MATTER
Department: Chemistry
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: Students will apply chemical tools and analysis to understand Black life in the U.S. and students will implement African American sensibilities to analyze chemistry. Diverse historical and contemporary scientists, intellectuals, and chemical discoveries will inform personal reflections and proposals for addressing inequities in chemistry and chemical education. This course will be accessible to students from a variety of backgrounds including STEM and non-STEM disciplines. No prior knowledge of chemistry or African American studies is required for engagement in this course.”
Note the capitalisation of the word “black” – a policy in much of the US now for many years. The word “white” is never capitalised.
Here’s a link to Steve’s comments:
Afrochemistry at Rice U., by Steve Sailer – The Unz Review
Pseudo-intellectual racist garbage.
Unless it’s astrochemistry taught with a Jamaican accent?
I imagine it’s not unusual.
Diversity = Less White People.
Fewer
Sick of the anti whiteism that is a constant in the war against us. There will be a backlash and the wokists had better realise they will be held to account.
Never let competency and ability get in the way when you have DIE and ESG boxes to tick.
DEI = Entryism
https://newdiscourses.com/2023/12/communist-entryism/