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CDN publishes Serving All Ages - a snapshot of age portrayal in the industry

BBC Press Office

31 January 2012

The research was commissioned by the BBC as current chair of the Creative Diversity Network. The CDN is a partnership of media companies made up of ITV, Channel 4, Sky, S4/C, Pact, MTV, Media Trust, Turner and BAFTA, which exists to improve diversity across our industry.
The CDN has made public commitments to do more to serve all audiences, and understand better attitudes towards portrayal of age in the media.
Serving All Ages was carried out at the end of 2011 by NatCen Social Research. The research canvassed the opinions of the general public, the broadcast industry and people with a specific interest in the issue of age, looking at output on TV, radio and online in all UK media organisations.
The key findings are:
Mark Thompson, BBC Director General and Chair of the CDN, said: “There are lessons here for the BBC and the rest of Britain’s broadcasters. It is young people who are most concerned with the way they are portrayed and we need to look at this. But we should also note the concern, expressed by older people generally, about the need for greater visibility for older women. While of course there are many older women presenters and actors across our airwaves, this is something that needs to be addressed.”
The full report into Serving All Ages is here.
Notes to Editors
The CDN steering group is made up of BBC, Channel 4, S4C, ITV, ITN, Sky, Pact, BAFTA, MTV, Turner Broadcasting and Media Trust.
The Creative Diversity Network (CDN) is an association of Britain's leading broadcasters and affiliated organisations, originally formed in 2000, to improve the representation of ethnic minorities in television both on screen and behind the camera. In the past two to three years it has expanded its remit to acknowledge and include broader diversity, focusing work on areas such as disability, gender, and age. Its member bodies work collaboratively to share expertise, resources and models of good practice.
The BBC took over as Chair of the CDN from Channel 4 in January 2011.
BBC Press Office