Is Radio Racist?

20th Feb 07

Tiger Tiger

How easy is it to get into radio when your skin’s not white?

Why, when so many BME students have been media trained, don’t they stick around in radio?

Are those who do sidelined into ‘ethnic’ programmes?

Has 1Xtra, Asian Network, and Choice FM ghettoised radio?

Why do employers say they don’t get enough applications from minority groups?

The session was hosted by LBC’s James O’Brien, who was joined by BBC 5 live’s Dotun Adebayo, Virgin’s Neil Francis, Choice FM’s Ivor Etienne, and broadcast and print journalist, Maggie Gu. The panel delved in to the heart of diversity in the UK radio industry and attempted to answer the questions ‘why doesn’t radio reflect the diversity of UK society, are attitudes changing and can mainstream radio absorb BME talent?’. The panel also discussed how and why they got into radio, what experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly – they’d had in local and network radio, both commercial and BBC, and what advice they’d give to young minority ethnic groups students.

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