BBC D-G to chair Cultural Diversity Network

Greg Dyke, Director-General of the BBC, will take over the chairmanship of the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) from Channel 4 for one year from December 2003.
The CDN began in 2000 when all the major British television broadcasters joined forces to change the face of television and work towards fair representation of Britain's ethnic population on screen and behind the camera.
Dyke said: "Broadcasters are working hard to make the industry more diverse and ensure its relevance to today's audiences.
"I hope by being Chair of the CDN the BBC can make a real contribution to this. For example, we've just completed major research into what ethnic minority audiences want to see on screen, and how we can better portray different people's lives. This is just one of the things that will help us chair the CDN in this next key phase."
Mark Thompson, outgoing Chair of CDN and Chief Executive of Channel 4, added: "There is real commitment to cultural diversity at the most senior level of all the companies in the CDN.
"At Channel 4 we have recently for the first time funded training schemes to encourage ethnic minorities into the industry in partnership with our key suppliers, and have funded three ethnic minority trainee deputy commissioning editors.
"Changes don't happen overnight, but all the broadcasters have kept diversity at the top of their agenda and as a body we are moving in the right direction."
The chairmanship will be formerly handed over at a CDN youth event in December.
(GB)