Ofcom: Broadcasters failing to represent LGBT people

A majority of LGBT people feel they are still under-represented or portrayed negatively on television, the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has found.

Ofcom’s new review of public service broadcasting found that a majority felt the LGBT community was under-represented on screen, while a fifth said they felt they were portrayed negatively to audiences, PinkNews reports.

Ofcom said the figures “highlight the difficulty faced by broadcasters in ensuring that audiences feel represented on screen and fairly portrayed.”

The review added: “In almost all instances, respondents as a whole felt that specific audience groups were better represented and more fairly portrayed than people within those specific groups felt about representation and portrayal of themselves.”

Ofcom’s public service broadcasting review covers the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. In positive news earlier the year, the regulator revealed it had received just two complaints over Russell T Davies’ sex-filled gay drama Cucumber, which aired on Channel 4 back in January.

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