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Fremantle Sets Babita Bahal as Group Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Naman Ramachandran
·2 min read

Channel 4 and BBC alumna Babita Bahal is joining Fremantle in the newly created role of group head of diversity, equity and inclusion, reporting to group HR director Nicky Gray.

Bahal was head of creative diversity at U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 where she was instrumental to key projects including the channel’s recent “Black to Front” project, Paralympics and the Indie Accelerator, helping increase representation and inclusion in the U.K. TV industry.

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Previously, Bahal was the diversity and inclusion lead for BBC Content, where her work included discovering and developing talent from underrepresented backgrounds.

Bahal will drive Fremantle’s global diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Gray said: “We have a responsibility as an organization to ensure our workforce is inclusive and reflects the communities in which we live and the audiences we serve. Our ongoing commitment to reflecting the diversity of the world in which we operate, on and off-screen, is essential to the success of our business and our creativity. By bringing Babita on board we are further committed to ensuring accountability for our progress.”

“Moving to Fremantle is an exciting opportunity to build an inclusive, creative culture within a large, successful, global content creator,” Bahal said. “I’m delighted to be working with Nicky Gray and the Fremantle leadership team to attract and progress the best people from the widest range of backgrounds, and who reflect a global audience. I’m sad to leave Channel 4 and the exceptionally talented creative diversity team but leave safe in the knowledge that together we made significant steps towards greater representation for the channel.”

Channel 4’s director of commissioning operations Emma Hardy said: “Babita’s contribution to Channel 4 over the past two years has been phenomenal and we look forward working closely with her in her new role as we all strive to bring about the much-needed changes to make the broadcast industry more inclusive and reflective of our audiences and our society.”

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