The economic arguments for diversity came under the microscope at a lively joint RTS/BBC session held at New Broadcasting House last month. The panellists agreed that, following years of inaction, broadcasters are finally making an effort to boost black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) representation in television.
The world of television production can, to quote Digital UK Chief Executive Jonathan Thompson, "sometimes be somewhat sniffy about strategy folk".
With this in mind, he says Lucinda Hicks' success in becoming Endemol Shine UK's Chief Operating Officer is doubly impressive.
He hired Hicks to work with his team at Channel 4 in 2008, when he was its Strategy Director.
Michael Jackson's stellar career encapsulates much of the creative history of TV during the past 30 years. He was an innovative independent producer back in the 1980s, reinvented BBC Two in the 1990s, and went on to run Channel 4. There, he launched Queer as Folk, Ali G and Big Brother, before crossing the Atlantic to work for the legendary mogul Barry Diller.
Today, still based in New York, his career has swung full circle. Jackson is once again working as a producer.
Alastair Stewart may have hosted British television’s first political leaders’ debate in April 2010 but, more often than not, it was Jeremy Paxman who had the last word at a rumbustious RTS Legends lunch in May.
Steve Hewlett was the ringmaster at this highly entertaining event, which sought to bring an insider’s perspective to the recent general election.
For much of the time, the two TV anchor men agreed to disagree. Paxman was as cynical as Stewart was enthusiastic. Maybe he’d recently attended a positive-thinking course.
With Team 56 – as SNP MPs call themselves – forming the third-largest party in Parliament, the impact on broadcasting in the UK is likely to be profound. And the effects are certain to spread beyond the BBC Charter debate.
The economist Jeremy Peat, a former BBC Scotland Governor and Trustee, observes that the general election outcome "represents a massive vote for change," requiring "not sticking plaster, but fundamental change." He adds: "We are miles away from a stable equilibrium."
A survey by diversity campaign group The TV Collective has found that 83% of people believe recent diversity initiatives will not make a difference to the industry.
Last year, TV and film in the UK introduced a range of initiatives to improve diversity both on and off screen with broadcasters such as BBC, Sky and ITV implementing new measures.
The purpose of the poll, taken by 170 people, was to investigate the impact the diversity drive had on those from varied backgrounds and highlight problems that may still occur.
The awards were hosted by comedian Josh Widdicombe at The Brewery in East London.
E4, which plays hosts to TV favourites Big Bang Theory and Made in Chelsea, beat off competition from CBBC, BBC and Sky Atlantic to win Best Entertainment Channel.
Soap Hollyoaks secured the Best Social Media and Digital Marketing campaign for its use of Snapchat in the ‘Who Killed Fraser?’ storyline.
Vice News gained the accolade for Best Original Channel while BBC Three drama Murdered By My Boyfriend won Best Scripted Programme.
Twofour Broadcast, the production company behind hit fixed-rig series such as Educating Yorkshire has been hard at work with new TV documentary,The Kings & Queens of Speech. Drawing to a close on Sky1, the series followed six schools preparing for a national debating competition.
