Channel 4 announces Babita Bahal as new Head of Creative Diversity

14 November 2019

Channel 4 today announced that it has appointed Babita Bahal as its new Head of Creative Diversity.

Babita will lead the team tasked with fulfilling one of Channel 4’s key priorities - ensuring the broadcaster continues to improve on and off-screen diversity across its content.

Under her leadership, the Creative Diversity Team will provide guidance and expertise on all aspects of diversity for Channel 4’s commissioning team as well as its independent production partners.

Reporting in to Channel 4’s Head of Commissioning Management Emma Hardy, Babita will help evolve and deliver the broadcaster’s diversity strategy.

The Creative Diversity Team will be key in ensuring the broadcaster delivers on its overall diversity strategy and also develops creative initiatives to help improve diversity and representation in the broadcast industry.

Emma Hardy said: “Diversity has always been central to everything we do at Channel 4, it’s the lifeblood of our creativity so I’m thrilled Babita will be leading our Creative Diversity Team at such a crucial and exciting time.”

Babita, who will join Channel 4 from the BBC in 2020, said: “It’s a really exciting opportunity and incredible privilege to join Channel 4, a broadcaster that has creative diversity at its core. To accelerate the pace of change we need commitment and collaboration at every level if we’re to create a genuinely more inclusive and diverse industry, something I know is a huge priority for Channel 4.

“I’m very proud of all the progress and achievements at the BBC thanks to my work with commissioners, channel controllers and producers. It’s made a real difference, particularly on-screen, but there is so much more we all need to do. Channel 4 has already had a huge impact on the broadcast industry and I can’t wait to play my part in keeping it at the forefront of the inclusion and diversity agenda.”

Babita, currently the Diversity and Inclusion Lead for BBC Content, will also support start-ups, BAME-led and regionally based companies as well as projects with diverse content or talent attached.