BBC Pledges Women Will Make Up Half Of On-Air Roles By '20

The BBC has pledged that women "will make up half the people who appear on its TV and radio stations and in leading on-screen roles by 2020," according to John Plunkett of the London GUARDIAN. The promise was made on Friday as part of a new package of diversity measures, and "follows criticism that the BBC has not been doing enough to reflect the makeup of its audience." The corporation also said that "half its 21,000-strong workforce and leadership would be female by 2020." Currently 48.4% of its staff are women, "who make up 41.3% of senior management roles." The BBC said that 15% of staff and leadership "would come from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds by 2020, with BAME people taking the same proportion of on-air and leading roles" (GUARDIAN, 4/22).