www.broadcastnow.co.uk
6 June 2014
RATINGS FOCUS
BEHIND THE SCENES
STEVEN D WRIGHT
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Daytime: the battle for Cast away: Bear Grylls’ breakfast and beyond crew on survival skills
Am I really a closet TV racist?
TV ‘grossly unfair’ to runners Bectu research finds entry-level freelancers are treated poorly and work long hours for low pay ALEXANDRA CHAPMAN
Behind the scenes: Bectu surveyed 125 runners for their views on working conditions in the industry
I have had some jobs where I have been treated as if I were a slave Survey respondent
earning a London living wage of £8.80 an hour, the research found. Some 31% of participants take home the minimum wage of £6.31 an hour, while nearly 15% admitted to receiving no pay at all. Many respondents said pay was the worst thing about being a runner and they despaired at the short-term nature of television contracts. Several also noted being passed over for promotion, complaining about a lack of job
opportunities and observing nepotism in recruiting decisions. Bectu assistant general secretary Martin Spence said that aspiring TV producers would be unable to fulfil their potential because the conditions are “bad for the industry and grossly unfair”. He said due to its importance to the UK economy, TV should be a “model of good practice”. The findings “require swift attention”, he added. Spence also suggested low pay as a reason why the survey painted a bleak picture of diversity in the lower rungs of the industry. Only 2.5% of respondents identified themselves as “black British” and 2.5% as “Asian British”. Some 80% described themselves as “white British”, while 9% said they were “white other”.
Runners made several suggestions for improvement, including industry agreed pay rates and more transparent publication of job opportunities. More training and greater respect were also requested. “Runners are people too,” one respondent noted. Their experiences weren’t entirely negative, however, with runners telling Bectu about rewarding elements of the job. Many valued meeting new people and making contacts, while others said they revel in the opportunity to be part of a TV production. Travel and variety were also listed as positive aspects of the role.
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Runners in the TV industry face low pay and long hours, are poorly treated and lack career progression, according to new research. Broadcasting union Bectu said that its first-ever survey of the role painted a picture of “grossly unfair” conditions for entrylevel freelancers. Many of the 125 runners surveyed complained of poor treatment from on-screen talent and executives. They also highlighted pay levels that are below the London living wage and a lack of travel and accommodation expenses as common frustrations. One respondent spoke of being “shouted at and humiliated” by colleagues, while many complained that senior production crew looked down on them, demanding they carry out “demeaning” tasks and blaming them for mistakes they hadn’t made. “I have had some jobs where I have been treated as if I were a slave,” one confessed when asked about the worst aspects of being a runner. Another added: “You’re a modern slave.” Several contributors also complained about sexism in the workplace. “As a young female in this profession, I have experienced some incidents and remarks that have made me feel very uncomfortable,” one runner told Bectu, which will set out the findings of the survey in detail at its Freelancers’ Fair 2014 this week. While the majority of the TV industry is based in the capital, only 5% of runners are currently