BBC Asian Network: Difference between revisions
On 26 February 2010 ”[[The Times]]” reported that [[Mark Thompson (television executive)|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.[http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article7041944.ece “BBC signals an end to era of expansion”] 2010-02-26 Retrieved 2010-02-260 The proposal of closure – along with [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] – was later confirmed on 2 March.John Plunkett [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/02/bbc-6-music-asian-network “BBC confirms plans to axe 6 Music and Asian Network”], ”The Guardian” 2 March 2010
On 26 February 2010 ”[[The Times]]” reported that [[Mark Thompson (television executive)|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.[http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article7041944.ece “BBC signals an end to era of expansion”] 2010-02-26 Retrieved 2010-02-260 The proposal of closure – along with [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] – was later confirmed on 2 March.John Plunkett [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/02/bbc-6-music-asian-network “BBC confirms plans to axe 6 Music and Asian Network”], ”The Guardian” 2 March 2010
A letter was written to the BBC Trust and had been signed by various people.“BBC Asian Network is a vital platform”, [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/06/asian-network-a-vital-platform], ”The Guardian” 6 March 2010 The BBC Trust later rejected plans to close 6 Music and also rejected the plans to close the Asian Network.BBC Trust rejects 6 Music closure plan [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10507286] BBC News, 5 July 2010
letter was written to the BBC Trust and had been signed by people.“BBC Asian Network is a vital platform”, [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/06/asian-network-a-vital-platform], ”The Guardian” 6 March 2010 The BBC Trust rejected plans to close 6 Music and plans to close the Asian Network.BBC Trust rejects 6 Music closure plan [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10507286] BBC News, 5 July 2010
=== Sliding audiences and increasing costs ===
On 14 March 2011, the BBC announced it was reconsidering its plan to close the station in favour of reducing its budget by 50%.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12735433|title=BBC considers Asian Network U-turn|work=BBC News|date=14 March 2011}}
[[File:BBC_Asian_Network.svg|right|thumb|250x250px|BBC Asian Network previous logo (2012–2022)]]
In July 2009 it was revealed that the Asian Network had lost over 20% of its listeners in a single year and, per listener, was the most costly and expensive BBC radio station to operate.
In 2011, the BBC ruled there would be a 46% reduction in the Asian Network’s budget and a declared target of 600,000 listeners a week; with actual audience numbers only peaking at 507,000.RadioCentre’s response to the BBC Trust’s service licence review of Asian Network [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/our_work/asian_network/radio_centre.pdf] In 2012, audience numbers fell even further; peaking at only 453,000.{{Cite web |title=RAJAR: BBC Asian Network loses 130k listeners |url=http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/rajar-bbc-asian-network-loses-130k-listeners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205081527/http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/rajar-bbc-asian-network-loses-130k-listeners |archive-date=2013-02-05 |access-date=2013-01-31}} Even with the budget reductions, in 2013 the Asian Network had the largest budget of the BBC’s digital-only radio stations at £13m; despite having the lowest audience figures by far.[http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2012-13/bbc-full-financial-statements-2012-13.pdf BBC full financial statements 2012–2013]
[[RAJAR]]’s figures in 2014 showed that the Asian Network had at last briefly met the target set four years earlier, finally peaking at 619,000 listeners in Q4.{{Cite web |title=RAJAR |url=http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php}} However, the Asian Network was noted as being the BBC’s only station – across both television and radio – whose [[Appreciation Index]] measurably fell in 2014.{{cite web |date=21 July 2014 |title=BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 |url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2013-14/bbc_annualreport_201314.pdf |publisher=BBC}}
By May 2015, the Asian Network had once again lost a substantial number of listeners, with the RAJAR reporting a peak of just 562,000 listeners – a loss of 57,000 from the previous quarter.{{cite web |date=21 May 2015 |title=Radio 4 Extra breaks record to become UK’s biggest…