GB News host Martin Daubney found himself in a fiery clash with a former BBC executive as they discussed the broadcaster’s latest diversity pledge, and Martin claimed that “every show looks like a UN meeting.”
The BBC has announced that it is to cut over 100 jobs, while at the same time, it has pledged to spend tens of millions of pounds on a diversity drive.
Speaking about the diversity pledge on GB News, Martin asked: “If you’re trying to save 100 jobs, how about you don’t spend £80 million on diversity?”
Ex-BBC executive Rodger Bolton responded: “Let’s be clear, the BBC is in this financial trouble because the last government and the one before that’s staff decided to squeeze the BBC.
“The BBC has 35 per cent less money than it had 10 years ago. That’s why the squeeze is happening. So it has to be cut.
“At the same time, the BBC has to acknowledge the fact that it has not been representative of the country.
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“I mean, let me give you an example. A third of the top managers in BBC are privately educated, so this isn’t just a question of different races or whatever. It’s also about the white working class as well and the opportunities people have actually to get into the organisation.
“The other thing is, of course, there were virtually no women when I was in the BBC. So you have to have policies to ensure that the people who run the BBC are truly representative of the country in which they’re broadcasting. So in principle, diversity is a very good thing.”
Martin hit back: “Roger, the fact of the matter is, if you turn on any BBC programme, it looks like a United Nations (UN) meeting. As for the white working classes, I used to work at the BBC a lot.
“There was never anybody like me from a coal mining background. You’re right. Everybody had a plum in their mouth.”
Bolton responded: “No, I didn’t say that come on, Martin. And that’s hyperbole come on.”
Martin said: “That’s what happened. That was my experience. No one was a coal miner’s son, most people had been to Oxbridge.”
Bolton then explained: “The principle is anyway, it’s got to be representative and it’s got to find ways. Over Brexit for example, I think probably a lot of your listeners would think the BBC wasn’t in touch with large parts of the country, correct? No wonder and I think there’s some truth to that.”
Marton quipped: “Because nobody voted Brexit who works at the BBC probably.”
Bolton disagreed and stated that the reason behind this was that the broadcaster was “not representative of the country as a whole.”
He added, “if you don’t have people from every section of society, you don’t realise what’s happening outside your immediate experience.”
The BBC says its investment will aim to ‘ensure that the stories told on-air are authentically reflective of audiences across the UK’.
