Creative Diversity Network (CDN) has published its latest annual report analysing data gathered through the industry-wide Diamond diversity monitoring system. The report covers an 18-month period from August 2023 to December 2024.
The findings from Diamond 7.5 reveal clear improvements in several key areas, particularly in the off-screen inclusion of underrepresented communities, but at the same time a mixed picture with continuing concerns about a lack of progress in others.
The Key
Findings
Representation of disabled people in off-screen roles is at the highest level (9.7%), since Diamond began reporting, and is now more than double the original figure (4.5%) when CDN launched its Doubling Disability initiative in 2018. However, it remains considerably below the equivalent workforce figures. Similarly, while on screen representation of over 50s increased, this is still far lower than the UK population estimate.
Representation of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups off-screen increased to 14%, which remains below the workforce estimate of 17%. However, this rise was mainly attributable to an increase in Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups and East Asian or British East Asian people. The overall number of off-screen contributions from Black, Black African, Black Caribbean or Black British people has fallen to 3.0% compared to the workforce estimate of 4.9%.
Women are still more likely to be in non-senior jobs and are heavily outnumbered by men in some of the more influential senior roles, such as Director, where women only account for 27.3% of contributions across the industry.
Senior
Roles
This year’s report includes a focus on contributions across senior roles within UK television, highlighting areas of progress and persistent gaps. Encouragingly, there have been year-on-year increases in the representation of women, disabled people, and individuals from East Asian or British East Asian and people who are South Asian or British South Asian ethnic backgrounds in key senior positions.
However, disparities remain. The number of people who are Black, African, Caribbean or Black British in senior roles has decreased, and representation of disabled people, transgender people, and bisexual individuals in senior roles consistently lags behind workforce benchmarks.
The full Diamond 7.5 Report can be downloaded from the CDN website.
Going
Forward
The publication of Diamond 7.5 reflects a change to the annual reporting period to the calendar year. This change is to better to inform financial and strategic decision making by allowing future reports to be published in the Spring, equipping the industry with the most up to date Diamond data, so that equality, diversity and inclusion decisions can be embedded more effectively within their annual plans.
Since September 2024, CDN has been consulting with key stakeholders on how to make Diamond reporting more consistent and impactful. This includes broadening and deepening the data collected through Diamond, to provide a greater range of information to help the industry set targets and measure progress. This year Diamond started collecting data around religion and belief and socio-economic status for the first time, to create an even more comprehensive insight into just who is working in UK television. Insights from this data will be published in the next report.
Pact is proud to be a founding member of the CDN and have issued a joint statement alongside our fellow members reaffirming that we stand firm in our belief that a truly inclusive and representative television industry is not just a moral imperative it remains essential for creativity, innovation and long-term success to ensure we attract and retain the best talent for our industry. Read the statement in full on Broadcast Now.
Pictured above: Miranda Wayland - Chief Executive, CDN.