Put more older women on TV, the BBC is ordered by chief of its new watchdog who also warns corporation should not expect special treatment 

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Warning: Ofcom's Sharon White has told the BBC it is falling short of its responsibility to show older women on screen

The BBC is 'falling short' of its responsibility to show more older women on screen, according to the head of the corporation's new watchdog.

Sharon White, the chief executive of Ofcom, warned the BBC should not expect special treatment when if falls under Ofcom's regulation next year and accused the corporation of 'not doing as good a job as it should be', in its attitude to older women and minorities.

Lord Hall of Birkenhead, the director general, admitted two years ago that the BBC had 'an issue' concerning how few mature women were on screen and at the time pledged to change the situation, which has long been a source of criticism for the broadcaster.

Mrs White told the Financial Times: 'I would expect the BBC to be more distinctive, to have high-quality programming and to be investing in great drama, great news production and stories that really reflect the country with all its diverse make-up.

'All the research we have done broadly shows that people think the BBC is doing a good job. But it is falling short on those stories that reflect all of the nation and its communities.

Ofcom is set to take over as the regulator of the BBC from next year, replacing the BBC Trust

'On minority communities, older women, it is not doing as good a job as it should be. There is a gap there and it is a gap I would like to see closed over time.'

As part of the new royal charter, Ofcom will measure whether the BBC is meeting its obligation to be distinctive and take over from the corporation's previous regulator, the BBC Trust.

Ms White said she understood the BBC's 'special status' in public life but said: 'As a regulator we cannot give it special treatment.'

An Ofcom report published last year showed the enormity of the BBC's challenge with regard to diversity.

Sacked: Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly won an age discrimination case after being sacked from the show in 2009

According to the report, one in five viewers in Scotland and one in four in Northern Ireland said they were negatively portrayed on the UK's public service channels, which include BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

The research also found that 55 per cent of respondents from black and ethnic groups felt they were under-represented in public service programming.

In 2009 Countryfile's presenter Miriam O'Reilly was sacked by the BBC to make room for younger presenters and subsequently won her age discrimination case.

Last year, peers attacked the BBC claiming that there was 'clear evidence' that the corporation was 'biased against older women'.

Lord Razzall used John Humphrys and David Dimbleby as examples of men who were allowed to present news programmes in their 70s while women were subject to prejudice.

The House of Cards author, Lord Dobbs, added that it was 'folly to blind ourselves' to the wisdom of experienced female presenters.

'Being a great newscaster isn't simply a matter of getting lip gloss around the words of the teleprompter,' he said.

A BBC spokesman said: 'Ofcom are clear that the research they are referring to is for all PSBs (public service broadcasters) not just the BBC, but despite that we're always happy to debate what we do on screen and we don't think any broadcaster does better than in representing older women than the BBC.

'We're proud of the fact that the BBC of today has a huge range of women presenters across TV and Radio including Mary Berry, Carol Klein, Anne Robinson, Felicity Kendal, Joan Bakewell, Jenni Murray, Mary Beard, Gloria Hunniford, Angela Rippon, Julia Somerville and Kirsty Wark.' 

The BBC has a target that 14 per cent of its workforce by next year will be made up of black, Asian and ethnic minorities - and that this would hit 15 per cent by 2020.

This is in line with proportions reported in the last UK census in 2011, which found that 14 per cent of people in Britain come from non-white groups.

The BBC’s diversity and inclusion strategy also has a target that by 2020, 8 per cent of its staff and leadership roles would be filled by LGBT people.

This is significantly higher than the 1.6 per cent of British people who identified themselves as LGBT in an Office for National Statistics survey published last year.