Ofcom: almost half of broadcasting employees now based outside London

Ofcom’s eighth annual equity, diversity and inclusion in broadcasting report shows that 48% of roles in broadcasting are now based outside the capital in the Nations and Regions – up from 46% in 2023.

But the report also paints a mixed picture, revealing particular areas where progress towards a more representative workforce has stalled.

Ofcom said certain groups are persistently underrepresented, particularly in senior, decision-making and editorial roles.

While women remain well-represented across the industry overall (50%), despite a slight uplift in promotions, they are still under-represented at a senior level (43%). This is particularly true for radio (excluding the BBC), with women only accounting for a third (33%) of those in senior management roles, and only 36% in commissioning or programming positions.

Similarly, people from minority ethnic groups only account for 11% of those in senior roles across the industry, while there is continued underrepresentation of disabled people across all job levels (11%) and even more so at a senior level (9%).

The Ofcom data also suggests continued underrepresentation of working-class people across the industry, currently 27% against a working population benchmark of 39%.

Ofcom also said there is evidence of a ‘revolving door’ where employee retention rates remain lower than average among some underrepresented groups. Its data suggests bigger churn among women and those from minority ethnic groups working in broadcasting.

For example, although a greater proportion of those joining the broadcasting industry are from a minority ethnic group (26%), they also make up a higher proportion of those leaving their jobs (23%).