BBC Studios publishes its UK Gender Pay Gap Report for 2019

BBC Studios, the BBC’s largest wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, published its UK Gender Pay Gap Report. It reveals that the company reduced the average – specifically the median – difference between the pay of men and women to 10.3%, down from 14.1% in 2018.

Published: 26 September 2019
I am pleased to report solid progress on reducing our UK gender pay gap, and these figures show some success towards tackling a vitally important issue, but we still have further to go.
— Tim Davie, CEO BBC Studios

Findings from the UK Gender Pay Gap Report include:

  • Median gap now 10.3%, down from 14.1% in 2018 (versus national average of 17.9%)
  • Women in leadership roles now at 52.1%, up from 49.2% last year
  • Improvement reflects measures taken to invest in future leaders, specialist training, changes to shared parental leave and the promotion of flexible working as well as the roll-out of a programme to bring greater transparency to pay across the business
  • Action plan in place to drive further reductions in the future

The reduced figure compares with the national average of 17.9%, and is published as the company completes the roll-out of a series of measures designed to increase fairness and transparency in its pay structures.

These included promoting flexible approaches to work, providing confidence and impact training for women and training managers to be better aware of unconscious biases. The business has also increased the amount of paid leave during paternity and shared parental leave, and a focus on ensuring BBC Studios’ leadership development programme has a diverse composition for the pipeline of future leadership vacancies.

Tim Davie, CEO for BBC Studios said: “I am pleased to report solid progress on reducing our UK gender pay gap, and these figures show some success towards tackling a vitally important issue, but we still have further to go. We are not complacent about the need for greater change, and will continue to work hard on improving our representation at all levels of the business, with a particular focus on the most senior leadership career bands, in order to reduce our pay gaps year-on-year.”

BBC Studios has now increased numbers of women in leadership from 49.2% to 52.1% year-on-year. The business has also recently implemented a Career Path Framework alongside a new pay and grading structure already in place in the public service side of the BBC. This is designed to give staff greater transparency about their position in the business alongside others carrying out similar roles and their opportunities for career progression.

The business continues to voluntarily report on pay gaps for other measures, with those for LGBTQ+ and part-time staff close to zero. Gaps for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and disabled staff are at 10.2% and 8.6% respectively and will continue to be addressed as part of the company’s overall diversity and inclusion programme.

Also within the report, an action plan for the forthcoming year highlights specific initiatives designed to boost the diversity of the business. These including working with agencies like Mama Youth and Creative Access to bring under-represented talent into the industry through apprenticeships and trainee schemes, and a refreshed school outreach programme, offering training and insight to young adults in schools local to BBC Studios’ offices in Shepherd’s Bush. BBC Studios will also be hosting a week-long international Diversity Summit [for the second year running].

Ends

For more information, please contact:
Hannah Bailey/ Charlotte Elston
hannah.bailey@bbc.com; charlotte.elston@bbc.com
BBC Studios Corporate Communications

NOTES TO EDITORS

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Created in April 2018 by the merger of two existing commercial subsidiaries, BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios, it spans content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries spanning both its own productions and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents, able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen. Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms. BBC Studios has offices in 22 markets globally, including six production bases in the UK and production bases and partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which makes around 2000 hours of content a year, is a champion for British creativity around the world and a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector. BBC Studios has revenue of around £1.4bn, and returns over £200m to the BBC Group annually, complementing the BBC’s licence fee and enhancing programmes for UK audiences.

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