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Channel 4 news presenter wants blacks, Asians to head TV channels

Guru-Miurthy’s comments came even as Indians have become the largest non-white ethnic group in the UK…reports Asian Lite News

Pitching for diversity among senior-most executives in media houses, Indian-origin newscaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy has said that it is about time a black or Asian person runs a British television channel.

The Channel 4 news presenter said although Jewish people have been well-represented at the top levels, there are “still no black or Asian people running our biggest broadcasters”, the Guardian reported.

At the Channel 4 Inclusion Fest on Wednesday, the journalist rued that there was a monoculture among the power-makers behind-the-scenes.

“We have, I have argued before, already seen what happens when you get a lack of diversity in broadcasting management. It gets judgments wrong, or doesn’t appear to know how to react,” Guru-Murthy was reported as saying by the Guardian.

The longest-serving Channel 4 presenter, who faced racism while growing up in Lancashire in the 1980s, said that one inevitably ends up making wrong decisions due to the absence of diversity of thought at the top level.

“Like any kid who grew up as a minority, even in a relatively well off, middle class life, I’d been called racist names, pushed around and picked on by a racist bully, had NF for National Front written on my blazer and school books,” Guru-Murthy said at the fest that highlighted the issues of ethnicity, disability and transgender people in the media.

Guru-Miurthy’s comments came even as Indians have become the largest non-white ethnic group in the UK.

According to the 2021 census which was released on Tuesday, the number of Persons of Indian Origin in the UK increased to 3.1 per cent of the total population from 2.5 per cent (14.12 lakh) recorded in the 2011 census.

However, Guru-Murthy, who fronts Channel 4 News’ podcast ‘Ways to Change the World’, added that his Asian background helped him early in his career.

Last month, Guru-Murthy was taken off air for a week by Channel 4 for swearing at Conservative MP Steve Baker.

During an off-air moment, he was caught on camera calling the Northern Ireland minister a “c***” outside 10 Downing Street.

ALSO READ-Racism rocks British royalty

Channel 4 to tell the story of Boris from Eton to No. 10

Michael Winterbottom’s drama series “This England” starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, will bow on television network Sky in autumn 2022…reports Asian Lite News

As the UK awaits its next Prime Minister, a documentary based on the departing UK PM Boris Johnson is currently in early development at a leading television network. The four-part series with the working title “Boris”, will feature hour-long episodes, reports “Variety”.

Broadcaster Channel 4, in a statement accessed by ‘Variety’, said: “Through a combination of rare archive footage and with access to those with intimate knowledge of Johnson over the years… will hear from both his friends and enemies to reveal his true persona.”

‘Variety’ further stated that the series explore how the seeds of political rivalry began in the corridors of Eton where Johnson beat former Prime Minister David Cameron to the role of school captain, his campaign for becoming student president at Oxford, going on to examining his rise to power, from becoming mayor of London to UK Prime Minister.

As per ‘Variety’, Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz said: “However the story of Boris Johnson’s political career ends, he has done more to change Britain and the nature of our politics than any other recent political figure.

This landmark series will try to answer the question of what shaped the boy who wanted to be king of the world and how he grew to believe that he could escape the laws of political gravity.”

The series was commissioned by Channel 4 head of factual entertainment Alf Lawrie and commissioning editor of factual entertainment Tim Hancock and is a 72 Films production. Michael Winterbottom’s drama series “This England” starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, will bow on television network Sky in autumn 2022.

ALSO READ-Boris dodges snap election