Equal Opportunities

Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom is take the steps it considers appropriate to promote equality of opportunity in employment and training by larger television and radio broadcasters. In particular, Ofcom is required to take the steps it considers appropriate to ensure that broadcasters make arrangements to promote equal opportunities.

Ofcom licensees are required to make these arrangements as a condition of their licences. In addition, television and radio broadcasters must:

• take steps to make those affected by the arrangements aware of them;
• review their arrangements from time to time; and
• publish observations on the operation and effectiveness of their arrangements, at least annually, in a form the broadcaster considers appropriate.

Guidance for broadcasters on these requirements is available below. Note that these obligations only affect broadcasters or groups of companies who employ twenty or more people in connection with the provision of the licensed service, or operate for more than 31 days a year.

Before 2009, Ofcom used broadcasters returns on the operation of their arrangements to publish reports on equality of opportunity within broadcasting. These reports are available below.

In 2009, Ofcom handed day-to-day responsibility for equal opportunities within broadcasting to a co-regulator, the Broadcast Training and Skills Regulator (BTSR), which was renamed the Broadcast Equality and Training Regulator (BETR).

In the light of the Governments plans to changes its duties, Ofcom resumed responsibility for monitoring how broadcasters comply with their equal opportunities obligations and BETR was wound up in 2011. However, its website holds its reports and an equal opportunities framework that broadcasters may find useful when preparing observations on their arrangements.