BBC in race law row over advert for a 'zany Asian'

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The makers of a ten-part BBC2 science programme sent a wish list of attributes they were looking for to, among others, casting directors, agents and management companies.

It said they were seeking a "young, zany Oriental or Asian person with a science background". But even the science background could be ditched, the advert implied, for the right ethnic man or woman.

"It's an advantage if they have a technical background," it stated. "They would have to be good with an audience and have to conduct experiments. They would have to be enthusiastic and engaging."

Although the series – dubbed by one BBC source as "Tomorrow's World Lite" – is to be made by BBC Scotland, auditions will be held in London on Wednesday.

One talent scout who received the message said: "I find it extraordinary. We go over every offer with a fine-tooth comb to ensure we don't in any way contravene the Race Relations Act. This seems to drive a coach and horses straight through it."

The Race Relations Act 1976 clearly states that indirect discrimination involves job requirements that lead to one or more racial groups being favoured over others. The only exemptions are if a person's specific background or language are vital to a project.

The new programme, aimed at a nationwide audience, has no ethnic-led agenda, being purely a popular look at science.

A spokeswoman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "If a complaint was made to us about this we would take it very seriously and look into exactly what the message said."

A spokesman for BBC Scotland said: "Messages were sent to various organisations from a member of the production team of a science programme.

"The wording of the messages was inappropriate and they should not have been sent out. It is now an internal matter."