Culture Secretary’s Veto Of Top Channel 4 Board Nominee Ignites Diversity Debate
The Culture Secretary’s rejection of Ofcom’s board recommendation leaves Channel 4’s board less diverse. URN:48375479 (Press Association via AP Images)
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer reportedly blocked the appointment of Rozina Breen, a woman of colour, to the Channel 4 board without clarification, raising questions about commitment to diversity and transparency of process.
The move came when Breen, a former BBC executive, emerged as Ofcom’s top choice for the Channel 4 board. However, despite Ofcom’s recommendation, Frazer rejected Breen’s appointment without clarification, sparking speculation and concern over the transparency of the process.
The move, reported in an exclusive by Deadline, marks the third instance of such a decision and intensifies the ongoing diversity debate in media circles. The move raises serious questions about the government’s alleged interference in media appointments.
Deadline’s investigative reporter Jake Kanter highlighted a critique by Channel 4 Chairman Ian Cheshire of the newly approved board members’ lack of diversity. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), on its part, maintains its commitment to “advancing equality” in public appointments.
Breen, now at the helm of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, expressed her dismay at the opaque nature of the appointment process.
“Representation in the media matters,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “The stark reality is that women of colour especially face multiple barriers. We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in. But the climb continues and we go again.”
The government’s track record shows a pattern of intervention in Channel 4 appointments, notably blocking the reappointment of two women of colour in 2021. The new Channel 4 board, despite recent additions, falls short of its diversity targets, with only one of the five new non-executives being a person of colour.
Ofcom’s latest board additions leave the diverse representation at a mere 6.25%, significantly below Channel 4’s target of 20%.
In response to Deadline’s queries about the board’s diversity, the DCMS reiterated its dedication to equality in public appointments. Meanwhile, Channel 4 announced plans for its largest job cuts in over 15 years, totaling up to 200 positions.
