BBC Asian Network

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BBC Asian Network
Broadcast area	UK - National
Frequency	MW: Various (Restricted Coverage) DAB: 12B Freeview: 709 Freesat: 709 Sky: 0119 Virgin Media: 912 Tiscali TV: 820
First air date	1976 BBC Radio Leicester show 1988 as The Asian Network - BBC Radio Leicester & BBC WM 1996 as separate channel on AM 2002 Nationally on DAB [1]
Format	South Asian orientated
Audience share	0.2% (December 2008, [2])
Owner	BBC
Webcast	Live Stream Real/WM Podcast: mp3
Website	www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork

BBC Asian Network is a BBC national radio station orientated towards British Asian life, culture and music in the UK and other topics from a British Asian perspective targeting British Asians aged under 35, while also aspiring towards a broader appeal among all interested in British Asian life whether Asian or not, regardless of age.

Based in St Nicholas Place, Leicester, England with programmes also coming from Mailbox studios at BBC Birmingham and BBC Television Centre, London; it broadcasts nationally on DAB and digital TV via satellite, cable, IPTV and Freeview; locally on AM in parts of the English Midlands 24 hours a day and sometimes in some parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, South East England and Hertfordshire locally: How to Listen.

In more recent years online streaming, Listen Again and podcast [3] options have been introduced on the main site for many of the station's programmes.

[edit] History

BBC Asian Network studio at The Mailbox shopping centre, Birmingham.

[edit] Origins

In 1977 BBC Radio Leicester, in recognition of the growth of the importance and size of the South Asian population in Leicester, introduced a daily show aimed primarily at that community in the city; its popularity was remarkable, beyond anything anticipated, at one point the audience consisted of 67 per cent of the South Asian community in Leicester. In 1979, BBC WM, the BBC radio station for the Midlands, followed Leicester's lead and introduced a similar daily show.

By 1988, plans had been laid for shared South Asian programmes across the Midlands, on the AM frequencies of Radio Leicester and BBC WM, and on 30 October 1988 The Asian Network was launched on BBC WM and BBC Radio Leicester with a combined output of 70 hours per week.

In 1996 the station was relaunched as 'The BBC Asian Network with its own AM Frequencies in the Midlands.

[edit] BBC Asian Network goes national

By 2000, the station's output had shifted focus from the Midlands to the UK as a whole, and the station became a truly national network on Monday 28 October 2002 when it was relaunched for the DAB Digital Radio system.

In January 2006, the BBC announced that they were investing an extra £1m in the BBC Asian Network, and increasing the number of full-time staff by 30% in a bid to make British South Asian interests 'a mainstream part of the corporation's output' . The internal management structure of the station changed with Bob Shennan, then Controller of BBC Radio 5Live, taking over as controller, with a new Head of News, Husain Husaini (a very experienced senior editor in BBC Five Live), a Head of Music Mark Strippel Markie Mark (a much respected Asian music dj and former member of Punjabi Hit Squad) and a Network Manager, Mike Curtis (previously Asian Network`s News and Sports Editor).

[edit] 2006 schedule changes

In April 2006 the first wave of schedule changes were introduced with further changes coming into effect on 14 May and 21 May with weekend changes occurring from 17 June as outlined in the following BBC Press Office Links. *The New Schedule

[edit] Symbol change

In August 2007, the Asian Network received a new logo as part of a general re-brand of all national BBC stations.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Management 2008

Controller of Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network; Andy Parfitt. Head of Asian Network: Vijay Sharma. Head of Programmes: Husain Husaini. Network Manager: Mike Curtis. Head of Music: Mark Strippel. Head of News; Kevin Silverton

[edit] Programmes and presenters

The BBC Asian Network features a generally regular schedule of programming in English and South Asian Languages. Many Programmes are named after the usual presenter, programmes are presented in English except where noted otherwise.

[edit] Current programmes sharing presenter names

• Nikki Bedi (Weekday Lunchtimes).
• Jas Rao.[4]
• Nihal (The morning phone in programme.
• Adil Ray (Breakfast).
• Bobby Friction (The Station 'Flagship' music show)
• Tommy Sandhu (Weekend Breakfast Show).

[edit] Other programmes

• Love Bollywood every Saturday and Sunday consisting of News about Bollywood films and other related matters.
• Music Programmes on the BBC Asian Network - Music in various styles and in English and in various South Asian Languages
• Regional Language Programmes on the BBC Asian Network in Mirpuri, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and in Hindi and Urdu
• Devotional Music in various languages on weekdays and Devotional Sounds - Islam/Hindu/Sikh on weekends in various languages.
• Silver Street
• BBC Asian Network - Special News Reports

[edit] Current programme staff

[edit] Presenters

• Adil Ray
• Ameet Chana

• Anwarul Hoque
• Ashwini Malhi
• Bobby Friction
• Changis Raja
• Dev Parmar
• Dipps Bhamrah
• DJ Kayper
• Gagan Grewal
• Kanwal Qazi
• Neelu Kalsi
• Nerm
• Nihal
• Nikki Bedi
• Noreen Khan
• Pathaan
• Raj & Pablo
• Jas Rao
• Ravinder Kundra
• Rozina Sini
• Sanjay Sharma
• Shawkat Hashmi
• Sonia Deol
• Tommy Sandhu
• Zarina Khan

[edit] Reporters

• Sanjiv Buttoo
• Deepak Patel
• Gurvinder Aujla
• Audrey Dias
• Nasser Hanif
• Rahila Bano
• Maimuna Kazi
• Sabina Alderwish
• Suki Padda
• Rahul Tandon
• Adam Pasternicki

[edit] Former presenters

• Sameena Ali-Khan
• Mike Allbut - former T20 presenter and prior to that of the Saturday mid-morning show.
• Navinder Bhogal
• Amanda Hussain
• Aasmah Mir - more noted as a BBC Radio 5 Live Live News Reader and presenter and columnist in the Sunday Herald covered one fortnight in April 2006 on what had been the Sonia Deol show from 09:00 to 12:00 during schedule changes and has also presented the BBC Asian Network Report in the past.
• Meera Trevedi
• Anita Rani

[edit] Former Programmes

• Film Cafe every Saturday which consisted of Film News presented by Raj & Pablo, both Film Cafe and Amanda Hussein were replaced by the new four hour programme Love Bollywood in Spring 2007.
• Amanda Hussein which consisted of News, Music and Entertainment presented by Amanda Hussein, which replaced Weekend Breakfast which she had also been one of the presenters on (Initially called Hot Breakfast that had been presented by successively by Nikki Bedi, Anita Rani and finally Tazeen Ahmad).

[edit] External links

• BBC Asian Network at BBC Online
• Origins of BBC Asian Network
• BBC Asian Network relaunched on DAB at bbc.co.uk