[Community Television] CDN opens northern office

[Michelle McGuire]

CDN opens northern office
  09 July 2004 10:52

The Cultural Diversity Network - the organisation representing the UK’s 
major broadcasters, which aims to improve ethnic representation in TV 
on and off screen - has opened its first branch in the north of 
England.

CDN-North comprises representatives from nine organisations based in 
the North of England - BBC GMR, ITV Granada, Liverpool Film Studios, 
Media Training North West, Media Trust North West, North West Vision, 
the Northwest Regional Development Agency and indies 12 Yard and Red 
Productions.

At the launch event at Manchester United’s football ground Old 
Trafford, the BBC’s director of sport and race champion Peter Salmon 
announced that CDN was also to launch a website, at 
www.cdnetwork.org.uk <http://www.cdnetwork.org.uk>.

The website will be an information source, chronicling the activities 
of the CDN’s members, in regards to cultural diversity issues. Both the 
website and the CDN North brand were launched following a seminar about 
good practice in multi-faith programming, hosted by the BBC’s head of 
religion and ethics Alan Bookbinder.

Salmon said: "Issues of race and diversity affect all of us. I’m very 
proud of the big leaps forward we have made in broadcasting in recent 
years, and pleased that we have been able to launch a website to 
capture this, but we can’t be complacent.

"Partnerships like CDN-North are key to making an impact on the ground. 
Devolution is in the air, not just in the political world but also for 
the media."

Source: broadcastnow.co.uk