BBC R3 presenter calls for composer quotas

The Radio 3 DJ Kate Molleson, who is promoting a book about neglected composers, has used her platform at the Edinburgh Book Festival to press BBC managers to diversify their classical output.

‘The fact is that we do need help along the way in order to shift things along,’ she said. ‘Personally I don’t mind quotas. I feel that there is an idea that if you are being chosen because of quotas then your work is not good enough to be there, which isn’t necessarily true.’

Radio 3 has already committed to a 50-50 male-female balance for living composers.

The BBC, as a public body funded by its users, has a duty to exercise fairness and sound judgement in its selections.