ITV Boss Slams UK Gov’t & Calls For “Strong Leaders & Managers” To Deal With Bad Behavior In TV Industry – RTS Cambridge

deadline.com:

“Strong leaders and managers” are required to call out bad behavior in the UK TV industry, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall said today as she addressed the Russell Brand allegations and slammed the government for its economic policies.

Although Brand has never worked on ITV and the BBC and Channel 4 have been far more in the firing line, McCall said the management of talent is as important as victims speaking up to stop Brand’s behavior from being repeated by others. “You have to have stonrg leaders and managers who will say ‘that’s not appropriate’ or ‘we have had a complaint here’s what we will do about it.’ Perhaps that has not happened enough because [the behavior has] not come out enough.” McCall, however, said “anyone in governemnt or anwyhere else that even could think or imagine that we don’t take this incredibly seriously and we will not act on it is not right.” Brand was accused by four women of allegations ranging from rape to sexual assault.

He completely denies criminal wrongdoing and says all relationships were consensual. The problem is heightened within the TV industry by the large freelance workforce, added McCall. “When you make programs you have people coming and going in a crew and we’re looking at a freelance workforce of 70%,” she added.

So there are many complications and complexities and we are all looking at it, working on it, trying to avoid this happening in the future.” With the cost-of-living crisis and ad recession hitting commercial broadcasters hard, McCall slammed the UK government for lacking a plan and “talking about growth all the time but being very very quiet.” “What are the initiatives for growing the economy?,” she questioned. “One thing the UK government could do for the creative