The BBC ’ s music radio services have been branded too white by the Corporation ’ s watchdog . A review of the six stations by the BBC Trust has raised concerns that they are failing ethnic minority audiences . Radio 2 was highlighted as having particular difficulties in attracting non-white listeners and the Trust has demanded the station urgently improve and report on progress in six months . The comments echo criticisms made in 2001 by then director-general Greg Dyke , who said the BBC was ‘ hideously white ’ and had race relations as poor as the Metropolitan Police . While yesterday ’ s report accepts that the BBC has improved over recent years , it states that , ‘ like BBC television , BBC radio serves BAME audiences less well than it does white listeners. ’ Popular : Clara Amfo presents the Radio 1 chart show which attracts 23 % of black , Asian and minority ethnic people aged 15 to 24 . BAME stands for black , Asian and minority ethnic . It pointed to statistics that show only 34 percent of BAME adults tune in to one of the six music radio stations - Radio 1 , 1Xtra , Radio 2 , Radio 3 , 6 Music and Asian Network – each week . This compares to 49 percent of all adults regardless of ethnicity . Although the BAME figure is up from 29 percent five years ago , the Trust said the BBC must still improve further . It is a problem also faced by BBC television , with the latest figures revealing it reached 74 percent of BAME adults each week , compared with 86 percent of all adults . Radio 2 has a target audience of the over 35s but even in among this group , it failed to attract ethnic minority listeners . It reaches an average of only 12 percent each week , compared to 35 percent for all adults . The Trust said : ‘ As Radio 2 has a remit to serve a broad audience over the age of 35 , it should address this disparity. ’ In the Trust ’ s previous review of music radio , Radio 1 was flagged up as of particular concern , reaching only 17 percent of BAME people aged between 15 and 24 . Struggling : BBC Radio 2 , which has presenters Chris Evans ( left ) and Jeremy Vine ( right ) , was highlighted as having particular difficulties in attracting non-white listeners by its own watchdog . This time , the youth-oriented station has been praised for its progress , with the figure rising to 23 percent . However , this is still far lower than the 40 percent reach it has among young people nationwide regardless of ethnicity . This is not the first time in recent months that the BBC has been accused of failing ethnic minority au-diences . In a speech in December last year , the Corporation ’ s head of news James Harding said his de-partment better serves ‘ rich , old , white people ’ than those from poorer backgrounds and ethnic minorities . Yesterday ’ s review announced that Radio 1 was cutting back on its number of live recordings and its coverage of music festivals as part of a cost cutting drive . Also revealing that there will be ‘ a small reduction ’ in drama on Radio 3 , it praised the stations for being ‘ distinctive ’ and said they played a ‘ wider range ’ of music than their commercial rivals . BBC Trustee Nick Prettejohn , who jointly led the review , said it made for ‘ positive reading ’ . A BBC spokesman said : ‘ We aim to appeal to listeners from all backgrounds by offering a broad range of high-quality services and programming . 'Whilst listening to our music radio stations amongst BAME audiences has grown in recent years , we will continue work hard to make sure our stations represent and reach all audiences . ’
Review of six stations found it was failing ethnic minority audiences . Only 34 % of black , Asian and minority ethnic tune into any of stations . Problem also faced by BBC television at 74 % compared to 86 % of all adults . Radio 1 praised for its progress in reaching 23 % of BAME aged 15-24 .