BBC Asian Network

BBC Asian Network logo (2012–2022)

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

By 1949, the BBC had introduced their first weekly Bengali language programme, Anjuman, through the efforts of Nazir Ahmed and Nurul Momen. Momen also conducted a children's programme titled Kakoli. The BBC was later joined by more Bengalis such as Fateh Lohani and Fazle Lohani.[8] BBC television had also broadcast an Asian news programme, Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan, since 1968 from its studios in Birmingham; this series followed a traditional news and current affairs format.

In 1976, BBC Radio Leicester, responding to the growth of the size of the South Asian population and rising racial tension in Leicester, introduced a daily community show called Six Fifteen, aimed primarily at that community in the city. By 1977, CRE research showed that the programme regularly reached 67% of the South Asian community in Leicester. BBC Radio Leicester dominated the provision of Asian programming on BBC local radio and by 1990 was producing one third of the output.[9] In 1989, BBC WM, the BBC radio station for the Midlands, followed Radio Leicester's lead and introduced a similar daily show as part of a new Midlands Asian Network.

On 30 October 1989, The Asian Network was launched on the medium wave transmitters of BBC WM and BBC Radio Leicester, with a combined output of 57 hours per week. This was extended to 86 hours a week in 1995 and on 4 November 1996 the station became a full-time service, on air for eighteen hours a day in Leicester and Birmingham, and was relaunched as the BBC Asian Network with programming also broadcast on the MW transmitters of stations with large Asian communities (with the exception of BBC GLR which was an FM-only station).

In November 1999, as part of the addition of a suite of BBC and commercial radio services to the Sky Digital satellite television platform, BBC Asian Network was made available to Sky viewers alongside BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC World Service, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Ulster.

On Monday 28 October 2002, it was relaunched for the DAB Digital Radio system, now broadcasting nationwide.

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".

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.[10] In August 2007, the Asian Network received a new logo as part of a general re-brand of all national BBC stations. In 2009, this was re-branded again to add prominence to the Asian aspect of the logo.

One of the most significant programmes in the Asian Network line-up was an ongoing Asian soap opera Silver Street, which was first broadcast in 2004. Storylines focused on the lives of a British South Asian community in an unnamed English town, with themes that generally related to issues that affect the daily lives of British South Asians and their neighbours.

Following the reduction of episode lengths to five minutes per day and continued falling listenership, on 16 November 2009 the BBC announced they would be cancelling Silver Street.[11] The last episode was broadcast in March 2010. The cancellation grew out of many criticisms of the Asian Network in the BBC Trust's Annual Report.[12]

Silver Street was replaced by monthly half-hour dramas and in August 2010, BBC Asian Network announced it would be launching a new drama season from 1 September 2010.[13]

In March 2022, BBC Introducing on Asian Network with Jasmine Takhar was nominated for Best Radio Show at the Music Week Awards. The show is the first from the Asian Network to be nominated by the Music Week Awards.

In February 2023, the Asian Network breakfast show with Nikita Kanda went on a three city tour marking the first tour by the network. The cities included Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.

In March 2023, BBC Introducing on Asian Network with Jasmine Takhar was nominated for Best Radio Show at the Music Week Awards for the second year running. The show also celebrated International Women’s Day by selecting 4 female talent for a live session at the world famous Maida Vale studios hosted by Jasmine Takhar. The talent include SHVVN, Nova, Saloni and Diana Drill.

Love Island season 9 winners Sanam and Kai co-hosted the Asian Network breakfast show with Nikita Kanda.

It was announced in April 2023, that the BBC Asian Network through BBC Introducing will have a showcase at the Great Escape Festival on Friday 12 May at the Paganini Ballroom in Brighton. Jasmine Takhar will host the Introducing on the Asian Network stage takeover bringing artists to perform including Tara Lily, Pritt, H33RA and Asha Gold.

In May 2023, Nikita Kanda and Haroon Rashid went to Abu Dhabi for the IIFA awards bringing the latest news and backstage gossip with interviews from Abhishek Bachchan, Nora Fatehi, Rajkumar Rao and more.

It was announced in August 2023, that the Asian Network breakfast show host Nikita Kanda has joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing.

On 26 February 2010 The Times reported that Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, proposed closing the station in a bid to scale back BBC operations and allow commercial rivals more room.[14] The proposal of closure – along with BBC Radio 6 Music – was later confirmed on 2 March.[15]

A letter was written to the BBC Trust and had been signed by various people.[16] The BBC Trust later rejected plans to close 6 Music and also rejected the plans to close the Asian Network.[17]

On 14 March 2011, the BBC announced it was reconsidering its plan to close the station in favour of reducing its budget by 50%.[18]

In 2018, the station's Head of News Arif Ansari was charged under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 after a reporter was thought to have named a victim of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal during a live news bulletin.[19][20] In January 2019, he was cleared when a judge ruled that Ansari was not at fault and had been incorrectly told the name of the victim was a pseudonym. He was the first BBC editor to be tried under the legislation.[21]