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BBC presenter Amol Rajan has challenged the broadcaster’s boss over the dominance of people with posh accents on its news programmes. Mr Rajan commissioned research which showed 70 percent of newsreaders across the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky speak with received pronunciation.
The presenter, who is to replace Jeremy Paxman as host of University Challenge, asked BBC Director General Tim Davie what he was going to do about it during an interview at a Royal Television Society conference.
Mr Rajan asked: “We found 70 percent of newsreaders spoke in the poshest accent after the King’s English, which is RP (Received Pronunciation). Does that surprise you?”
Mr Davie replied it did not surprise him before he was asked if he would consider giving a prominent presenting job to someone with a strong, regional, working class accent.
The chief executive answered: “Of course.” He agreed with Mr Rajan, after he asked: “It’s quite striking that it hasn’t happened, isn’t it?”
Mr Davie was also quizzed over the BBC’s decision to cancel the Last Night of the Proms and its coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The BBC boss explained the decision was taken in part because the corporation feared it would not have enough outside broadcast trucks because they were needed for royal coverage.
He said: “We had enormous decisions to make. Do you put on Strictly? Do you do satire? Where do you stop?
“I think Last Night of the Proms was the most finely balanced one. That was a 50:50 call, but we probably made the right decision.”
Mr Rajan also interviewed Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon at the convention.
The chief executive has said she is in contact with the Government over where they want to end up after new Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan cast doubt over plans to privatise the broadcaster.
The move to sell off Channel 4 was spearheaded by her predecessor Nadine Dorries during her time under Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Ms Mahon told the convention she is in dialogue with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
She said: “Where we are now is they are obviously re-examining the business case. That means for us we are in discussion with the DCMS about where they want to end up and what the options are.”
Ms Mahon added: “This is a Government decision and it is Government policy so you are absolutely right to flag that people in the Government have changed and it’s a new Secretary of State.
“She’s got every right to do that. I imagine they will look at the things that I like – facts, data and evidence, which you have heard me bang on about before.
“I’ve made my position and point of view on that clear, and then we’ll see what the coming weeks and months hold as they think about that.
“Lots of things in the legislative agenda are kind of up in the air compared to where we were in July, partly because the country is now having some more problems. So lots of things will change in terms of the legislative agenda.”
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