Summaries

The Colour of Money

- Industry had fallen behind in diversity

- 7.9% of the UK population is made up of people from ethnic minorities and the advertising industry is not representative of this, either in terms of employment or in targeting these communities for clients.

- 2001 census shows how ethnic minority communities have grown by 50% compared to how it was in the last census back in 1991

- White communities have dropped in numbers

- 72% of the south Asian community live in pay TV homes compared to 39% of the UK population as a whole. Also, 74% have a mobile phone compared to 69% which shows us that the minority is not deprived or weaker.

- There has also been an increase in south Asian channels – 18 channels and 6 commercial radio stations.

Home Service

- Over 70% of Asian homes (twice the average) have sky digital or cable.

- The TV diet of more than two thirds of Asian viewers is made up of Asian interest channels featuring dramas set on the sub continental and news from “back home”, and Bollywood music.

- It also found that Asian and black women are addicted to soaps. 83% of black women and 71% of Asian women watch soaps compared to 56% of white women.

- Indian called for a fairer portrayal of mixed marriages.

Subcontinental drift

- There has been a greater interest in british Asians expressing their identity from a musical perspective.

- More recently the musical Bombay Dreams has been has been a success in the West End,capitalising on British Asian talent as well as formidable experience experience of A.R Rahman and Andrew Lloyd Webber

- Overtime, increasing numbers of the music buying public have dragged the industry, kicking and screaming, to a more balanced view of the world.

- We are undergoing a cultural and artistic revolution.

- The question isn’t why is all this happening now? Instead its, why has this taken so long to happen?

How Entertainment Changed

- Multicultural entertainment is now firmly entrenched in the UK’s mainstream media due to the success of films like Bend It Like Beckham and east is east alongside TV prime time hits like the Kumars at No 42 and Babyfather.

- 78% of people think that ethnic minorities are better represented on television now compared to 10 years ago.

- 73% of black people and 67% of Asians say things have improved in terms of the representation of ethnic minorities.

- 54% of black people and 57% of asians believe it is harder for job- hunters from their community to get work in the media than it is for whites.

- As the years passed, Britain’s multicultural population began to make its presence felt in all parts of the schedule, comedy being one key area.

Ethnic minority push by BBC

- The BBC is launching a drive to improve its news coverage on ethnic minorities in an attempt to connectect with audiences that have prevously been negelected.

- Radio 5 Live is appointing a correspondent with a brief cover to cover the Afro-carriebean commmunitites in Britain,while a new digital radio network aimed at young black people is reruiting its own team of journalists.

- The BBC Asian Network which broadcasts in the midlands and north-west of England, has its own news operation, and the station is being expanded to cover the whole country on digital radio later this year.

- The Asian network has its own team of journalists