Lords quiz BBC, ITN and Sky News on women in news and current affairs
Senior news and current affairs figures from three of the main news broadcasters will face questions from the House of Lords Communications Committee as part of its inquiry into the representation of women in news and current affairs broadcasting.
The Committee is investigating how women are represented in the sector, both on-air and behind the scenes. The inquiry will address issues such as the legal and regulatory obligations affecting broadcasters in relation to gender balance, the extent to which gender balance is an issue in broadcasting and, how gender equality could be achieved.
At 3.30pm, the Committee will hear from:
- John Hardie, Chief Executive of ITN;
- Jonathan Levy, Head of News Gathering at Sky News; and
- Fran Unsworth, Deputy Director of BBC News and Current Affairs.
Questions the Committee are likely to put to the panel include:
- How would you describe the current situation for women working in news and current affairs, both on-air and behind the scenes, and have you seen this change in recent years?
- Is the situation different for women working in radio, rather than TV broadcasting?
- What policies do you have to ensure gender equality amongst both employees and those represented on screen?
- How do you support women with family commitments to progress their careers?
Following on, at 4.45, the Committee will question Sonita Alleyne and Richard Ayre, of the BBC Trust. The Committee expect to cover issues including the role of news and current affairs, the impact of voluntary initiatives and targets, and the working culture within the BBC.
The evidence session will take place on Tuesday 28 October at 3.30pm in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
