Journalist says DCMS vetoed her Channel 4 board appointment amid diversity row

By Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor

The BBC’s former head of north has said women of colour “face multiple barriers” and must “jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in” as she claimed the British government vetoed her appointment to the Channel 4 board.

Media regulator Ofcom has appointed five new non-executive directors, four of whom are white, with the choices approved by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

The move has sparked controversy about the lack of diversity on the board, while job cuts loom at the broadcaster.

Rozina Breen, former head of news at BBC 5 Live and now chief executive and editor-in-chief at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, said she went through a six-month recruitment process with Ofcom but her appointment was rejected by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Representation in the media matters.

The stark reality is that women of color especially face multiple barriers. We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in…

But the climb continues & we go again.

⬇️ https://t.co/3vFV6glFUn

— Rozina Breen (@RozieBreen) January 9, 2024

She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Representation in the media matters. The stark reality is that women of color especially face multiple barriers.

“We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in… But the climb continues & we go again.”

Speaking to trade publication Deadline, she said: “There were clear criteria and a process for application.

“If one is put forward by Ofcom as one of the recommended candidates and then seemingly rejected by DCMS, that feels opaque and also problematic. Who is making the appointment?”

She added: “More diverse senior decision-makers are essential if broadcasting is to become a genuinely inclusive industry.”

An internal memo from Channel 4 chairman Sir Ian Cheshire, seen by The Daily Telegraph, said the new appointments will mean the board is still less diverse than the rest of the broadcaster.

He said: “These appointments will improve representation on the board but do not yet meet the levels of representation throughout the rest of the organisation.

“Appointments to the board are not ultimately in our control due to procedural reasons but we are committed to continuing to push for further progress.”

The appointments include Boots chief executive Sebastian James, record label executive Alex Burford, advertising executive Dame Annette King and entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow.

Tech entrepreneur Tom Adeyoola is the only non-white appointment.

A statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “DCMS is absolutely committed to advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments, to ensure that boards of public bodies benefit from a range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.

“Appointments to the Channel 4 board were made by Ofcom following a fair and open competition, with approval from the DCMS Secretary of State.”

Following the appointments, Channel 4’s board will have 15 members – of whom 14 are white.

The other members include current Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon and chief content officer Ian Katz, newspaper editor Sarah Sands and former Paralympic swimmer Lord Holmes.

The recruitment process was run by executive search agency Russell Reynolds, with Ofcom board chairman Lord Grade, former chief executive of Channel 4, chairing the recruitment panel.

The other panel members were Sir Ian, academic Elizabeth Watkins and former broadcasting executive Baroness Prashar.

Earlier this week, staff at Channel 4 were warned that job cuts are looming after a tough advertising market in 2023.

An internal memo from Ms Mahon to staff said: “We have been working carefully to minimise the impacts on individuals and get Channel 4 into the right shape and size for the next ten years.

“I am sorry that some job cuts will inevitably be involved.”