Hugh Muir’s Guardian Diary picks up our blog’s Radio Four expose about the lack of Black talent fronting the premier BBC channel’s programming
In paragraph two of his column he keeps up the pressure on the BBC to justify their recruitment process saying:
‘A survey by the pressure group Operation Black Vote claims that more than 100 of full-time presenters on the station are white. None are Afro-Caribbean, says OBV. Two are Asian. We are always on the lookout for new voices, says the station. Look harder, say black staff and OBV – and Floella Benjamin. Radio 4 is at the cultural heart of the nation and we want to be part of it, say the critics..’
Thanks for your messages of support for the original post (especially from those within the BBC), and keep the comments coming in! Also watch for developments on this story early next week.
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ORIGINAL OBV BLOG STORY
Critics have called for an investigation into BBC’s Radio 4 lack of diversity, after OBV Blog found that just two Black regular presenters, compared to over 100 white broadcasters at the up-market station.
Radio 4, the BBC’s flagship network for political and intellectual programmes, lacks far behind the more populist Radio 5 Live in terms of diversity of regular presenters, prompting experts to ask why out of 104 regular presenters there are not any African and Caribbean’s fronting programmes and only two Asians?
While Radio 4 has commissioned 33 ethnic minority contributors to make programmes this year, none have been invited to become regular presenters, which remains an almost exclusively all-white club.
One outraged community broadcaster accused Radio 4 of “not being able to handle intelligent black people.”
The findings come after the recent launch of a report on social mobility by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, which found that the biggest decline in social mobility occurred in journalism and accountancy.
Journalists were more likely than politicians to have gone to independent schools, and the Milburn report concluded that “the typical journalist or accountant of the future will today be growing up in a family that is better off than three in four of all families in the UK.”
The only Asian presenter whose picture appears on Radio 4’s website is Ritula Shah (bottom right corner), a deputy presenter on The World Tonight, Saturday PM, and Women’s Hour. The other non-white presenter, whose picture does not appear, is Hardeep Singh Kohli. He is a guest presenter on Pick of the Week.
Simon Woolley, head of Operation Black Vote, said: ‘What OBV has uncovered is a shocking indictment against the BBC and sadly a rather familiar snapshot of Britain’s racial inequality. There is no shortage of Black people with both intellectual and political nouse that would benefit Radio 4, yet the elitist gatekeepers wrestle to maintain the status-quo. The Black and Asian British licence-payer has a right to demand a more equitable service.
Woolley added: ‘As a critical barometer of intellectual and political thinking, Radio 4 had a responsibility to reflect society, and that includes ensuring that coverage of Black of Asian communities was not disproportionately negative.’
OBV called on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to demand Ofcom investigate the lack of diversity among Radio 4’s regular presenters and the nature of its scheduling.
Last year a study by the EHRC found that Black people were still under-represented on television. Comedian Lenny Henry has also spoken out over concerns that broadcasting is dominated by white faces.
Colourful Radio was established in 2006 to carry intelligent speech-based programmes from a Black perspective. Director of programming Henry Bonsu, said: ‘Radio 4 presenters tend to be drawn from a narrow social background. You only have to go to the place to see that. But I think they recognise it and want to change it.’
Bonsu, a former BBC London presenter who is an occasional contributor to Radio 4 added: ‘They do need to take a good hard look at who gets to present programmes and to have the courage of their convictions to bring about that change.’
Looking for solutions, he continued: ‘For example, they could get more guest presenters in who can prove themselves and become regular presenters. And they’ve got to give people time to develop in the same way that many top presenters were supported in their early stages.’
Other parts of the BBC are doing much better than Radio 4. At Radio 5 Live, six out of their regular 25 presenters are black or Asian. However it was reported recently that the BBC’s Asian Network is believed to be under threat unless it improves its’ ratings over the next year.
In 2001, the former BBC director-general Greg Dyke put diversity top of the agenda when he labelled the broadcaster ‘hideously white.’ Currently only 4.3% of senior staff are from an ethnic minority, a proportion that has actually dropped over the past four years.
More recently, in 2005 Radio 4 listeners inundated the BBC message boards to complain about the slight Caribbean lilt in the accent of Jamaican-born Neil Nunes, a former World Service journalist, demanding his removal from the airwaves.
Recent years have seen improvements on the children’s channel CBeebies, but former children’s presenter Floella Benjamin said: ‘Children’s programmes have always led the way when it comes to addressing diversity on the screen, but other genres have a lot of catching up to do.
‘It’s only during football matches and talent shows that we pop up and get a look in. It’s as though that all we are capable of doing. I also noticed that during this year’s Richard Dimbleby Lecture given by Prince Charles, that there was not one Black or Asian face in the audience. It is as if people from diverse backgrounds don’t exist.
‘I personally have been trying to address that balance with broadcasters for over 30 years now. I keep asking myself ….When will it change? And what will it take to make the change?’
Rashid Julien, who presents the People’s Talk Show on Genesis Radio, went further. He said: ‘If you are a clown or a comedian you’ll be alright, but if you are an intelligent, well-spoken, well-read, back-up-what-you-say kind of black person… no chance.
‘I’m not even talking about people who are radical with a strong black perspective. It’s rational, intelligent black people that they find threatening.’
And while the station has broadcast a series of documentaries fronted by Black experts about subjects as varied as the anniversary of the Notting Hill disturbances and the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery, none have become regular presenters. Worse still some believe that far too many of the commissioned programmes focus on negative aspects within black and Asian communities such as gangs and guns, or immigration.
A spokeswoman for Radio 4 said: ‘People from ethnic minority backgrounds contribute to news, drama, magazine and discussion programmes on a daily basis. Radio 4 aims to reflect the UK’s audience and the network is always on the look out for new voices with great stories to tell – from every sector of society.
‘It’s not a closed door at all. We are on the look-out for BME talent although we recognise there’s work to be done.’
The spokeswoman pointed out that some of the ethnic minority contributors had four and five part series, not just one-off programmes.
Today Radio 4 broadcast a report from Birmingham by Amardeep Bassey on the problem of organised dog-fighting in the Asian community, and a series by Iranian comedienne Shappi Khorsandi, who explores what it is like to grow up in the UK within a non-British family.
Filed under: Media |
operationblackvote.wordpress.com 
We have been here before, I am actually too upset to write anything constructive at this point. I have only one question to pose at this time, when will the OBV radio station arrive?
Its needed, either on the airwaves or on the web like MSNBC tv. Lets think about!
Ps. Maybe Radio 4 could commission a programme on the subject matter at hand?
What a bloody waste of time and public funds OBV. We have been here before and yet nothing has changed and I can assure nothing will change. Ten years from now, you will be doing another ‘expose’ or did you call it ‘exclusive’!
Didn’t Simon Woolley, one of your directors, used to present on Colourful Radio? Why don’t you just put part of that public money you have to support Colourful (a commercial radio station) or one of the community radio stations instead and do your own thing instead of relying on the BBC and other public funds to do for you?
Come on guys stop that reliance on the public purse and grow up.
Good luck
Max, this is off topic. Rather than address the issue in the article (ie. lack of Black representation in the media) you seem to be merely having a cheap (and misinformed) pop at OBV.
Lester Holloway
Actually, @operationblackvote, the lack of Black representation in the media is axactly what my point is about. The commercial operators aside, over the last 20 years the BBC’s commitment to ‘Black’ talent is obvious to see – Eastenders only.
So, it won’t happen in our lifetime. So, all I’m saying is, let’s stop crying foul every decade, and instead build a media house to rival them. In that way, our children won’t have to endure what we are having to endure now.
I still stand by my point – another 10 years from now, you will be doing another ‘exclusive’. Just change the record guys.
Hi Max,
I agree we should build our own media which precisely the reason things like the OBV blog exists. What do you think it should be doing that it’s not currently (other than the one post you disagree with) doing?
As I have mentioned elsewhere, there seems to be the implicit assumption that Radio 4’s output does not appeal to African and/or African-Caribbean audiences, though I would love to be proven wrong on this.
OBV’s research findings are nonetheless appalling in a Britain of 2009 that prides itself on being inclusive. T
These are findings that cannot be lightly dismissed (sorry Max!)
After all, the African footprint in the spheres of “culture”, and “the life of the mind” and human civilisation is indelible.
For me, this particular issue is not just a matter of skin colour. It’s about what the radio presenters have to say too. There are many establishment black faces already on BBC Radio (no names mentioned) that Radio 4 could hire to balance ethnic diversity books, but who cares? They’re just going to be reading from the same sheet that Humphrys and Co. read from.
The question I’m really asking is, will hiring a middle-class black British African (for instance) make any difference other than an aesthetic one which will only serve to appease some disgruntled members of the black community?
If anything is needed, it’s a specific black radio station (commissioned by the BBC) that focuses on more than just “urban” music and that is fronted by people who represent the majority of black people and black people’s circumstances in the country.
I think what we need is some hard data that explodes the myth that Black people aren’t listening to Radio 4. This data would compel BBC bosses to act in addressing the woeful lack of representation amongst presenters, editors and producers.
I have just read the OBV article re the very minority representation of Black presenters on Radio Four and though a bit rushed I must write the following;
I have been a keen listener of radio four for many many years and yes, as a black person I have been aware of this lack of black representation since I first started listening to it and yes it is something I am not nor will ever be happy about and have previously raised this as a point of concern. I do not doubt there is a need for radio four to change this situation and now believe with the backing of OBV and its friends (of which I count myself as one) there is the opportunity to bring real pressure to ensure radio four changes this position. I want this to happen because I believe radio four has many good points to commend it, in particular with regards to dealing objectively with controversial issues of interest to all groups within society. The lack of black presenters I believe is the station’s Achilles heel when it comes to not only addressing black and minority issues on a daily basis but having valuable contributions to make in general. Ensuring a regular black perspective is put forward rather than either a white liberal perhaps sympathetic interpretation or a carefully selected black presenter’s one off comment is important to gaining a rounded perspective.
May I suggest that in seeking to address this issue, we should not just be looking at the lack of black presenters, but also at the board and any related governing bodies that influences selection? I do not believe like Max appears to, that the answer is to have an alternative black station. If we continue to go down that road, we might as well start fighting for an independent black government. Of course we would then need to extend the opportunity for all other minority ethnic groups to have their own government; attempts at which I believe have already in part been made. The latter is not only unworkable and a dangerous concept, but for me, defeats the need for equally shared values produced through shared caring and a willingness to take risks of including others (in this case presenters) regardless of the views of those who may write on message or comments boards about their inability to accept someone with an inflection of an African, West Indian or other minority accent. People should not forget that it was not so long ago that anyone with a regional accent was unacceptable as a presenter on either television or radio.
Unlike Max and others, I do believe that Radio four along with others stations and television networks will change and have black presenters that will be representative of black and minority ethnic communities and OBV can be influential in bringing this about. This opportunity maybe helped if people stop referring to themselves or other s as ‘ethnic minorities’ or ‘those from ethnic groups’ (these terms are frequently heard on radio and TV when talking about minority ethnic groups and are used by people who are either so ignorant or are too arrogant in their failure to recognise that as humans they are also members of an ethnic group) In terms of my black non British/English origins, I may belong to a minority ethnic group in this country, but I am most certainly not a minority in the derogative sense I feel this is often applied and which some black and minority people unwittingly use.
What would be of interest is a thorough assessment of the BBC’s recruitment and selection policy and procedure’s. Mainstream practices need to be scrutinised to make managers who fail to attract and employ BAME talent accountable for their decisions.
I think it is about time we install growth as identified for our own radio stations, support them instead of looking for the token gestures of those areas where openings come only when forced. We need to take a leaf out of black Americans booklead instead of following and maybe we will have a black Prime minister in this country.
The piece mentions 6 presenters on Five Live from a BME background which is an inaccurate figure, its more like 3!
Moving on, numbers are only one part of the representation game as James points out. The issue of editorial control is key. Those that do make it on screen or behind the mike don’t select the stories or write the scripts.
And ‘our people’ are as guilty as presenting biased nonsense as anyone else – Ritula Shah follows a line of people like Trevor McDonald and Moira Stuart, who brought little to the roles they had for decades (Ritula at least demonstrates some knowledge of Islam and gets names right). As for Lenny Henry…
Sure the BBC needs to do much more but the guys suggesting community owned stations as the way forward are right. The problem becomes how do you build an audience without investment.
The really important group of presenters are those who do not just read the news or do the continuity or announcements, but those who get to present whole programmes. All the newer presenters in this group all seem to be white men, recycled TV presenters, journalists or politicians – Michael Portillo is now on the Moral Maze as well as fronting his own programmes, for example. Of course he was needed to balance Matthew Parris – oh, another ex-Tory MP. There are plenty of really interesting people beyond this tiny group – but not Lenny Henry again though!
Frankly I am only going to say this once never again will I address this nursery school topic.
When BBC TV want talent they poach from others and award contracts worth millions of tax payers pounds to certain presenters which is great if the value of address all issues.
Secondly, in the corporate world there is something called head hunting, to be honest I hardly have time to listen to 4 or 5 maybe the occassional folashade or dotun, and regularly (whom I was introduced to via my then empress back in the 90’s on Choice Schuman Shuffle ran for years ) Geof Schuman whom I followed from choice to BBC, sometimes if I am lucky I might catch Eddie, all of those mentioned have never been on Radio 4 or 5 but have a large following instead they were culled in a cold clinical operation called blackout, or blacksout we can debate which is which.
With the immediate experience gathered from within the so called lily white imperialistic mainstream media we as a community surely are more than matured to develop a rival to this pedagogy of a synthetic so called cohesive spectrum of a media.
Now looking at the Oprah outfit with a solid structure which can be either worked on or it’s template used by the likes of DaarSAT to further merge with other media Communications company to form a collation of a broad major cartel that can rival any globally, including movie making a merger of holly wood nubians and nolly a collection of star power imagine the potential, that would be the icing on the cake.
Now as many in my community are TV License payers whom are hundred % unsatistfied customers, looking at the law basicly their human rights is being abused in a very subtle way, the classic act is the way when they try to interact with the radio stations on programmes they get either cut of air if their view is more academic, or lacks the prejudice of the presenter on air at the time, or they are screened so as to label them, whereby they are opportuned to spout their own opinion in a society that they live pay tax but not be heard.
The obivous fact here is that this is a media concept that was founded on imperialism, to continue the political agenda of chronic nepotism for the old school boy network (middle classes), even Dotun whom admits to have ‘scraped of the blackness’, awarded an MBE for his white man in black skin attitude has not been considered, (I guess he still does not fit in award therefore means, shut up mate this is how high we will let you go) for all he has done for Queen and country (keeping us other folks with Nubian soul, thinking will life be better if I scape of the blackness) that says it all.
To encounter a good radio station you have to listen to Voice of Africa whom need funding of up to £50K, also another important one is Galaxy afiwistation which have been refused a license despite the great work it does, (3 presenters that can be poached are as follows bro Omowale, Elder Herekuti, Elder Bongo Tetteh and they have massive followings, Sis Kai Mbandaka) what phases me is that after all this time we have no Pan Afrikan show on mainstream TV or radio, hello what are we paying for then?
Emancipation day came and went no radio station outside of the community mentioned it shame, this became our disscussion point as we left Voice of Afrika Emancipation Day event in East London as me and Elder Kofi Ali of Action Group of Afrika agree to disagree Media and Institutions, elimination of enforced subjugation based on neo-colonization based on lack of media.
When people only talk about you when it is abuse but when you want to strive forward they pretend they hear not, all of them acting the cold stone hearted Pharaoh from top to bottom. Time to leave them and move forward this famine cannot continue under their ideology and discourse.
Which brings us to a very valid point, good example rivalry is a good thing as it means we can counter any negative from opposition media, create jobs for up comming journalist to get their teeth into, create opportunies for those culled from the mainstream, demand for part of licenses fee(something a director of BenTV once stated in now past New Nation) since we also provided a service, a platform is automatically available for our up comming politicians, good example promoting Lee Jasper and the likes of Lola Ayorinde, Gee Bernard, Hughie Rose, Glenroy Watson some one real has to replace Late Bernie Grant; to House of Parliament. Amongst many other useful options that is just political.
However it would be a window of opportunity to the world for our talented writers, whom can write plays for radio therefore developing their talent and enhancing their skills, not letting it get stagnant, as the gate keeper syndrome, glass ceiling, colour barriers need to be smashed, giving us the right to denounce what our community find unfavourable i.e. inept radio presenters like Sarah Kennedy, need I say more.
Finally there has been tension at BBC for change to take place about representation, even the weekly Voice carries two stories relating to this matter(and please dont sweep this opportunity under the carpet) yet those who do not get license fee payers money seem to show a form of diversity or their operational license will be revoked, it is time BBC face such rules.
In closing structural changes can take place in BBC, but best solution is create a firm solid powerful media Nubian owned valliant in its pursuit of all sides, brave in its delivery with freedom of speach being paramount, which would give much needed exposure to our Global powerful Institutions Like Afrikan Union, ECOWAS, GAC, and practise transperacy.
21st century still relying on others is still a sign we are in a very bad coma they are not the Dr, and remember as much as Dr Who is a great TV show remember it is fiction so far they wont even let us do any of that, case closed so brothers, sisters friends and allies alike, lets move to the next level; or we will have ourselves to blame! Remember credit crunch never seen so much white noise who got punished I rest my case.
The Today programme is just the tip of the iceberg. The BBC has failed to address equality of opportunity in recruitment. That such a flag ship programme can feel completely comfortable placing pictures of their presenters knowing that there were virtually no black faces is remarkable. It shows almost an arrrogance on their part.
It is important that such programmes funded by the tax payer reflect the country’s diversity both in terms of content and presenters. You can also see the same pattern reflected in Newsnight and regional networks that fail to take into consideration the local demographics.
Whilst their national figures may seem impressive if you compare regional populations with their regional workforce profiles you can see that the BBC is also failing to represent the diversity of the country at that level too.
Most of those black workers who are employed are in the lower pay bands and do not tend to work on the flagship programmes.
The BBC spends hundreds of millions of pounds on procurement – how much of these contracts are won by black business? How many black people are employed in their senior management team? How are those black workers currently employed by the BBC treated?
Neither do the BBC Trustees represent the diversity of the country.
Of course we need to focus on the flagship programmes in demanding equality and you were right to do so, but we must also begin to focus how the BBC deals with race equality issues more generally.
In relation to the need for black owned media houses – its not one or the other for me I believe we need both – race equality in the mainstream and a strong independent media.
I think we should ask the BBC to fund a programme looking into Race and the BBC.
Mr Singh
Moira Stewart represents a consumate professional and someone who is passionately engaged and intimately informed about her community. Your comments about her are simply wrong – she has a fantastic track record of supporting her community.
That’s a very good point Leonie. The BBC seems to have a policy whereby it’s most prominent presenters are sent from one flagship show to another so as to build up their portfolios. For example, Evan Davis, now a regular presenter on the Today Programme, used to be the BBC’s economics editor, presenter of Dragons’ Den and another couple of Radio 4 programmes.
Nick Robinson, the BBC’s chief political editor has also fronted the Today programme, as well as presenting Newsnight.
Andrew Marr, from chief political editor to his own flagship Sunday morning show. Given to him while the heir apparent (Robinson) begins his ascendancy up the BBC’s “meritocracy”.
There are many more, mostly (as those are above) linked by a racial, educational and largely establishment background.
Black presenters on the other hand, are given roles for shows about the same old, tired subjects: slavery, gun and knife crime WITHIN black communities, why black boys underachieve, our Caribbean/African forefathers etc etc ad nauseam.
Are the BBC trying to imply that black presenters know about or are qualified to speak about nothing else?
On the first line, I meant “its” most prominent presenters, not “it’s”
I have found the debate on this point fantastic since my initial comment, but for me the issue still remains on how we move forward in developing our own media format for topical debate.
I state again that I see no reason why the possibility of a radio or tv format, as used by MSNBC tv cannot be looked upon as a blue print to follow.
I doubt very much that Radio 4 will change their policy on recruitment or alter the line up of their presenter in terms of diversity any time soon.
What can change is how we move forward as a collective and devise a suitable format as mentioned above.
The debate on this matter will continue but we are in an ideal position to have such debates and more on platforms yet to be accessed and with so much to offer. The support is out their.
I hope that on such a platform that this will not only increase the participation and healty debate seen so far, but it will act as the stage where our young minds of today whom seek a greater understanding of themselves and the world, get the chance to see appropriate role models as opposed to the ones seen on MTV base.
I have to start of by saying that the idea behind OBV as an organisation was/is very visionary. I think reaching out to communities in every which way is critical and essential. (Ticked that box)
Now on to the lambasting. Seriously. Don’t you guys get tired of this? This argument has been reharshed and recycled so many times, presented and represented in so many forms that it is now seemingly redundant. Just because you brought it up, doesn’t mean it is new.
One of your contributors above (Rodney) says that he sees …”no reason why the possibility of a radio or tv format, as used by MSNBC tv cannot be looked upon as a blue print to follow.”
No one will address this issue head on because it is the elephant in the room. When it comes down to it, someone will mention funding and all of a sudden everyone will recoil into their shells. I am sure whatever model that is being or will be formulated will almost certainly include government funding. By this I mean, they will get the idea on paper, and run to the government to secure the funding.
Why doesn’t someone (I include myself in this- but I have been burnt) just take the plunge and do something on their own, sort of like Koffi does with Colourful Network? When I met him a few years ago, I was very impressed with his vision and the last I checked he is still going strong.
When I met OBV a few years ago, and presented my ideas for community engagement and active grass roots politics they said (and I paraphrase) that that is not what they were looking for. A few years later once Obama has done it, they send me an email telling me about the need for community engagement and grass root politics.
OBV, you have to lead from the front. You have to provide the vision and lay the foundations, then once this is done, you can move to the background (like a good shepherd, as Nelson Mandela says in his biography) and let things take their course. Right now, what you are doing is what I term as rubble rousing. You stir up a debate and then retreat to your patch and watch what happens.
I have just re-read my post and to some it may seem as though I have a chip, but believe me I don’t. I am a Radio 4 listener and would love to see more presenters coming through and doing the sort of shows that Alvin Hall is doing.
Think of this as constructive criticism.
I love the way that you see this as being a ‘Radio 4’ problem !! Why have you not asked yourself why black people may not want to become Radio 4 presenters.
It may have more to do with a class or coolness perception by black people than with the BBC.
You say there are very few black presenters, but Ritula Shah presents The World Tonight – or is she ‘not black enough’ ??
You should be worrying more about breaking the fatuous ‘class barrier’ that seems to exist in the English mind between ‘working class’ and ‘middle class’ [which is not really a feature of the Welsh or Scottish mindset] as that is really what will make the difference to black people wanting to join R4.
Anyway Radio 4 is not designed to be ‘cool’ – that is an adjective usually ascribed to transient, vapid fashions and may therefore not appeal to young and urban tribes, whatever their colour. And the average age of the listener to Radio 4 is 50+ so it is bound to attract slightly different people to, say, 1Xtra.
Isn’t this ‘horses for courses’ approach a feature of the media ecosystem ? Of course, if Channel 4 Radio had taken off there might have been another competitor which didn’t have the soul of the Guardian but the clothes of the Telegraph for minority ethnic journalists to break into – the fact that 4 Radio died a death is not exclusively the fault of the BBC.
I am an avid R4 listener and 9/10ths of the time catch at least 3/4s of the Today programme whilst preparing for work on weekdays. Put simply, I think they have good presenters (without mentioning any names!), hold interviewees, however influential, to account and present national/international news and topical issues objectively.
Does all this mean it is perfect? Of course not, as the OBV survey amply demonstrates. But then again, the evidence emanating from the survey could quite easily be true of the top echelons of Industry, the Judiciary, the Military top brass, Parliament and Whitehall. The common thread running through those in that cadre is a sound education – largely Oxbridge but that’s not exclusively so- and the dividends that often yields in terms of analytical skills, confidence, lateral thinking and much more. These are clearly desirable attributes!
The challenge therefore is not just to say that the R4 has no Black or Asian presenters. That may be true, but it’s a rather simplistic argument. Nothing wrong with seizing the initiative and setting up indigenous current affairs programmes on satellite broadcasting as pioneered by the likes of Oprah Winfrey(Harpo), Raymond Dokpesi (Daarsat), Alistair Soyode (BEN TV) and others. The overriding factor, though, doesn’t lie in creating quotas for Blacks and Asians on R4; rather, it’s very simply in parents and youngsters re-prioritising the critical importance of a sound education. And yes, that means less time on Bling but more time on Books and study – some cricket’s good too! With that foundation, Black and Asian youngsters can compete on a level playing field with their White counterparts and, should therefore be on a firmer footing to present on R4 or any other first rate broadcasting Network anywhere on this planet.
Now, all this isn’t rocket science – there is a model that’s worked in politics; think Barack Obama. If that can work in politics why can’t the same logic and practice work in broadcasting?