ITV

Tag: Asian Network

  • BBC commemorates tsunami anniversary with specials

    BBC commemorates tsunami anniversary with specials

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC is marking the first anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 with some specially commissioned programming.

    On Radio 4, the Tsunami Audio Memorial on 17 December 2005 has created a memorial in sound and gathered sounds and stories for an historic audio tribute to the region and the people affected by the tsunami. In collaboration with the World Service and the Asian Network, listeners and online readers were invited to send in their stories, testimonies and sounds.

    Whether it’s Indonesian fishermen bringing in their early morning catch, conch shells being blown at dawn and dusk in Hindu households, or the cacophony of a traffic-filled street in Thailand, not forgetting the sea, the birds and the wildlife, this is an evocative and unique collection of sounds.

    These are stories by those who lived to tell the tale. The programme will also be a memorial, in sound, to those who didn’t. Overturning The Tide on Radio 4 tells the the extraordinary story of one man’s journey from despair to finding hope. On 26 December last year, within the space of a few minutes, Karibeeran Paramesvaran’s life changed irrevocably. All three of his children died when the deadly tsunami wave hit the shores of their home town, Nagapattinam, on the southern tip of India.

    Journey to the Heart of the Tsunami airs on BBC One on 21 December. This brings an underwater expedition to journey to the source of the tsunami, over three miles down, deep below the ocean surface. Viewers will come face to face with the damage caused when two of the Earth’s tectonic plates smash into each other.

  • BBC internet radio users up 70 per cent on 2004

    BBC internet radio users up 70 per cent on 2004

    MUMBAI: UK broadcaster The BBC has announced that its radio services are growing in popularity. Nearly seven million unique British users visited its radio websites in January.

    This marks a year-on-year increase of 70 per cent and the highest ever for BBC Radio.

    Listeners heard a record 4.2 million hours of radio on-demand, with digital-only services spearheading the increase: 1Xtra, 6 Music, Asian Network and BBC 7 all reported record on-demand listening, totalling 1.2 million hours.

    6 Music saw record online listening, with a combined live and on-demand total topping half a million hours. Asian Network’s Top 40 Soundtracks vote pushed weekly unique users of the network’s site over 60,000 for the first time in early January. 1Xtra gave another impressive performance with more than 500,000 hours of online listening and 70,000 on-demand requests for the M1X Show.

    For January 2005 Radio 4’s The Archers attracted 456,975 users. The same station’s show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue got 252,618 users.
     

  • BBC digital radio services praised

    BBC digital radio services praised

    MUMBAI: There is some good news for the BBC following the criticism that its digital television channels got several days ago. An independent review has praised the corporation’s UK digital radio services.
     
     
    The review, commissioned by the UK department of Culture, Media & Sport, looked at 1Xtra, 6Music, BBC7, BBC Asian Network and Five Live Sports Extra as part of the ongoing Charter Renewal process and said the services went “above and beyond” the conditions laid down by the secretary of state..

    For The Asian Network while the report noted that it had made a professional start it was time to step up a gear in editorial ambition and develop a more innovative outlook. The report suggested that it could be relocated to a single site, possibly in Birmingham, to help its transition from regional to national station. It is currently based in Leicester.
     
     
    Steps should be taken by The Asian Network to tackle the perceived inequality in treatment of different Asian communities. At least one language should be included from South India or Sri Lanka.

    The BBC should also look to understand the specific conditions of the Asian advertising market in relations with commercial stations.

    As far as another station 6 Music is concerned while there is criticism that the BBC is spending a relatively large amount of money on a station with relatively few listeners the report stated that this should not be a concern if it continues to produce a distinctive, modern public service. It has defined its role with great success.

    The station’s brief needs to be more clearly set out and its remit defined by “quantative measures”. The BBC Governors should draft a more detailed remit accurately describing the station’s character.

    Regarding BBC7 the report noted its success in attracting an older, upmarket audience and is playing an important factor in people buying digital radio sets.
    Its originated children’s programming is a genuine adornment to British broadcasting and one no commercial station would do. However the overall benefits of BBC7 are limited by it being primarily an archive network.

  • BBC Radio gets UK rights to India Pak series

    BBC Radio gets UK rights to India Pak series

    MUMBAI: BBC Radio has announced that it will have live coverage and in depth analysis of India’s upcoming tour of Pakistan from next week.

    BBC Asian Network has live commentary of the opening one-day international between the arch rivals. Regular updates and reports can be heard on BBC Radio Five Live. The three Test matches will be broadcast live on Five Live Sports Extra, with extensive reports on the Asian Network and Five Live with the remaining four one-day internationals being reported on both stations.

    The BBCi sport website will have over-by-over updates for England’s matches against the West Indies. There will be analysis and reports from India’s tour of Pakistan with expert opinion from players past and present on both series. Both the Asian Network and Five Live will have complementary programming with news journalists reporting from the tour throughout the month.

     

  • BBC claims encouraging response for new digital radio services

    LONDON: The BBC has announced an encouraging response for its new digital radio services. The new services reached 2,560,000 UK listeners. .
    The official listening figures were released by Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR). BBC 6 Music, with its mix of archive and new music, had a reach of 154,000. 1Xtra, the black music station, achieved the greatest reach attracting 331,000 listeners. BBC 7 which showcases comedy, drama, readings and children’s programmes had a reach of 236,000. This figure rises to 350,000 when children aged under 15 are included. This suggests that the specially commissioned programmes are succeeding in attracting children to speech radio.
    An official release informs that each of these networks achieves a share of 0.1 per cent, This indicates that listeners are spending a generous amount of time with the new stations. 6 Music listeners are tuning in for around five hours a week. This represents the longest amount of time spent with any of the new listeners.
    The World Service recorded a reach of 1,411,000, compared with 1,463,000 last quarter, and a share of 0.7 per cent. The Asian Network, which now broadcasts across the UK on digital (as well as on medium wave in the Midlands), showed overall reach of 495,000 compared with last quarter’s 421,000.
    BBC’s director of radio and music Jenny Abramsky added, ” Apart from Sports Extra, designed to give Five Live listeners greater choice, the new networks were created to reach new and underserved audiences and contribute something completely distinctive in the ever more crowded radio marketplace. I am particularly pleased with the signs that 1Xtra, like the Asian Network, appears to be reaching sections of the community who have felt marginalised by the BBC and I’m delighted that children are turning to BBC 7.
    ” The age of digital radio has come at last and the BBC has played a crucial role in getting us there. Although the proliferation of new services must inevitably impact upon the BBC’s share, I am convinced that spearheading the move to digital was right for the future of the whole radio industry.”
    The quarter saw all BBC reach at 31,790,000 compared to Commercial Radio’s 31,573,000. Despite the ever-increasing competition, the BBC’s share was 51.8 per cent compared to Commercial Radio’s 46.2 per cent.