News

BBC Plans To Close Asian Network

9:10 a.m. · July 6, 2010 · by Dan Nishimoto

While BBC 6 narrowly escaped the axe, the Asian Network radio station did not fare as well. The BBC Trust approved plans to shut down the station due to poor performance.

The network is aimed primarily at the South Asian diaspora. Though its programming spans topics, languages and cultures, the station helped promote major South Asian musicians, as well as promote new ones like Jay Sean, Bishi and Tigerstyle. However, the station has also faced competition from several private outlets. The Financial Expressnoted, "Indian journalists who worked for the BBC believe that given the multi-choice media environment, diversity of languages within the Asian community and stiff competition from commercial radio, the closure of the Asian Network was inevitable." The station's audience figures had also dipped significantly. This Is Leicestershirereported: "The Asian Network peaked with about 535,000 listeners a week in 2004. The [BBC Trust's] review said the number was about 300,000 in 2009."

 
According to BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons, the Asian Network's closure would only be considered alongside "a proposition for meeting the needs of the station’s audience in different ways.”