Sky Plans To Publish BAME Representation Targets As Part Of $38M Pledge To Fighting Racial Injustice

After parent company Comcast committed $100M to the fight against social injustice and inequality, Sky has said it will use £30M ($38M) of this cash to support similar causes in Europe.

The European pay-TV giant said it would spend £10M a year over the next three years on three strategic aims: Boosting diversity among its staff; supporting diversity action groups and anti-racism charities; and commissioning content that highlights racial injustice, as well as improving on-screen representation.

Sky said it would “deliver real and lasting change by improving its black and minority ethnic representation at all levels, especially senior leadership.” It added that this would include putting in place targets to “measure progression of under-represented groups throughout the organisation.”

The targets are currently being drawn up and it is understood that Sky will publish them once they have been agreed. It could lead to greater diversity on the company’s 14-member board, for example, which currently includes two people from a diverse background.

To help achieve its ambitions Sky has created a Diversity Action Group, chaired by Sky’s UK and Europe CEO Stephen van Rooyen and made up of black, Asian and minority ethnic employees, as well as an independent Diversity Advisory Group.

Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch said: “I have listened to the views of our colleagues at Sky. What I have heard loud and clear is that we can and should do more to support the fight against racial injustice. We stand with our black colleagues and today we are committing to do more to tackle racism, provide more support to communities impacted by racism and create a more diverse and inclusive culture at Sky.

“To make changes that really matter we will spend much more time listening and taking advice from those who understand the issues. We will work together with our black and minority ethnic colleagues and with external advisors to support real change, and we will use the power of Sky’s voice and reach to highlight racial injustice in the UK and around the world.”