Afternoon:
11°c
The BBC'S Asian radio station is facing closure after losing a fifth of its listeners despite spending more than £25 million in two years.
The Asian Network was singled out for criticism in the BBC Trust's annual report yesterday.
It commended the performance of the corporation's other national stations but warned the Asian Network after its listeners dropped from half a million to 405,000 in a year.
The trust said: “We will expect some improvement in reach next year.” A senior BBC source told the Standard that management at the station including controller Andy Parfitt — who also runs Radio 1 — were told they had to attract listeners over the next 12 months or face closure.
He said: “At a time when we are under pressure to justify every penny spent, the feeling is that another rap on the knuckles from the trust could seal the Asian Network's fate.”
The trust's statement followed top-level meetings about the station's future. The BBC is aiming to save £1.9 billion and expenditure is being scrutinised on an unprecedented level.
The station's content last year cost £9.2 million — half a million pounds over budget. The Asian Network's total expenditure was £12.1 million, more than similar-sized yet more popular stations 1Xtra, 6Music and Radio7. The year before it spent £13 million. Its average cost per listener is 6.9p, more than any other BBC station. The source said: “The board knows the Asian Network is struggling. It has a reputation for mismanagement and problems, which is why in many ways it was brought under the control of Andy Parfitt who was well regarded, but even Andy won't be given many more chances with such a costly operation.”
Supporters of the Asian Network say it provides a vital service and has helped launched the careers of British Asian presenters and DJs. But it has been plagued with controversies and management errors since it launched as a national digital station in 2002.
In 2006 its lunchtime show presenter Anjum Rafiq was convicted of nine charges of receiving stolen computer equipment. Last year an internal inquiry was carried out into claims that the station operated an anti-Muslim policy. The investigation rejected the allegations.
The station has had a second, expensive overhaul. In 2007 its then controller Bob Shennan relaunched it to draw in younger listeners. He signed up younger DJs such as Bobby Friction and Nihal Arthanayake and sacked older, Hindi and Urdu-speaking presenters.
But following “disastrous” Rajar figures last year, in which listeners sank to 380,000, Mr Parfitt focused on bringing in a family audience.
Tim Davie, the BBC's director of audio and music, denied the network's future is in doubt.
“The network is incredibly important in providing news, debate, music and entertainment to British Asians and is growing its audience following a major schedule change,” he said.
“The BBC Trust said it expects improvement in reach next year and we are committed to doing so.”
Reader views (33)
BBC ASIAN NETWORK Needs a vast improvement more language programming, discussions, and improve saturday and 10pm bobby friction slots and new discussions and debates, Birmingham Azan for Ramadhan and daily sheduled changes and base them selves in midlands affairs otherwise soory BBC i can see you leaving and another station such as Sunrise radio opening a Birmingham Studio for the Midlands.
- Kamran, birmingham uk
The Asian Network is a total waste of tax payers time. I have stopped listening to the station since it's new radically change and i must stay it's utterly boring and made switching off a pleasure. The talks are boarding on boring, the weekday evening show tries to be like all of 1xtra shows rolled into one and the weekend shows are full of the same tracks, or on some shows focused all on mainstream music. I like to think if i'm tuning into a Asian station then surly Asian music should be played? As a community we need a station to reflex what Asians listen to - i think the Asian Network are trying to be like every other station on BBC, hence why it's poor figures.
- Satty Singh, Birmingham
Im actually really wound up about this, im paying my license fee for a station that as the figures suggest is wasting money and losing listeners badly.
I listen to Club Asia Radio, a much better station so I won't shed a tear if they go under, leaving my license money to something more worthy.
- Garry, Ilford
BBC Asian Network is a great link for Asians living in the countryside away from the main asian population centres. Without it we will be lost. We love the presenters and the news and music content of BBC Asian Network. I plead to the BBC Board of Directors: Please do not axe it. Thank you.
- Hyder Ali Pirwany, Mr, Okehampton, Devon, ENGLAND
I think a good idea to broadcast the Asian channel in Welsh that would be really cost effective
- Rob, Rock Ferry Wirral
Gerry,
Are you aware that there are many different languages from the Asian sub continent including Hindi, Urdu, Panjabi, Gujerati, Tamil, Malyali and more?
Are you aware that the station purports to 'serve' these communities and their languages?
Then it seems contradictory that it does so by broadcasting in English and not in the various Asian languages.
If it's supposed to be for the Asian community, why not broadcast in Asian languages?
I agree that the Network is a waste of taxpayers money and BBC rescources. Purely because it does not do what it says on the tin...
- Alex Lane, Leicester
I am amazed that tax payers money will be wasted for one more year in proping up these "ethnic" broadcasts. The broadcasts are ignored by the people who it is meant for.
Surely, I can reduce my licence fee; especially as I do not tune into the broadcast similar to majority of
BBC's TV programmes
Amit.
- Amit Gandhi, London
The argument that it serves a 'minority language' is irrellevent as the majority of presenters broadcast in English. - Alex
Hmmm what language do you think they should broadcast in, stupid question and comment please ignore
- Gerry, Essex
The Asian Network is a shambles and does not even properly represent the community it serves.
The argument that it serves a 'minority language' is irrellevent as the majority of presenters broadcast in English.
The station is very much flavoured to a teen audience, which does not really need the Asian Netwrk as there are a number of Independednt Asian Radio Stations in each major city.
Speaking as someone who has worked for them I can also say that for a station that purports to be a 'National' station for UK Asians, it is extremely bias towards the Midlands.
Also it ignores huge sections of the fragmented Asian community. For example the Punjabi community are more well served min terms of content, music etc.
inneficiency, corruption and nepotisism are also rife...
- Alex, London
I remember the 70's BBC2 program: New Way, New Life (trans.); (anglo-saxon: Nye Zindigee Nya Jeevan). It seemed to be aimed at Asians with little language or cultual assimiltion; to comfort and assist. I hope it achieved both.
This report reminds me of the attempt by M&S to suck in the younger market by breaking its promise with its traditional core. The yooung didn't want or need to be defined by M&S, while the reliable left, betrayed.
Good luck.
- Helen, Reading
This is nothing to do with being Racist, so could all asian people commenting on this put down that card again and stop "playing it" . This is down to MONEY which the BBC have not got. If the figures are down on asian stations are not "paying their way" then simple solution would be to switch them off. I would think the BBC would also look at other ethnic or even other language radio stations with the same view.
- Alan, London
Why are the BBC wasting money on minority languages when English is the only language that should be used?
- Vince, London, West London
Have listened to lots of BBC radio stations including BBC Asian Network. Checked out all the message boards too and have been shocked to frequently read a regular thread of anti British! anti white comments running through theirs. Also there's a general dissing and contempt of the station output and phone ins, with them saying they never actually listen to the programmes? It's never been clear who exactly the station is aimed at, as there's loads of radio stations targetting Asian audiences around the country which are really popular.
Like with Jonathan Ross and the BBC top brass, maybe the company just likes chucking money around. Pity it's ours!
- Rab, Leeds
Presumably there are enough Asians listening to pay the amount of money that is being spent on the channel? If not, I do not see why we poor bloody natives should pay for them...
- Jonathan Montmorency, cooden, uk
this station is a disgrace a complete waste of money
- Paul, london
The BBC are not very good when it comes to Radio, mind you they are not that great TV. They have a good business in DVDS, CDs books and magazines.
They are a commercial company when it suits and taxes us for the privilege WIN WIN and we are the only losers. It being Asian is here nor there it's just another carriage on the BBC gray train which needs dumping in the side junction as other state they nothing more the politically correct brainwashing organisation used for purposes of mass propaganda rather than light relief, it really upsets me to give the BBC any money
- Gerry, Essex
Why don't you racists who whinge on here do something better with your life and try get the many pirate radio stations in London closed down - the ones which serve the minority communities, particularly BLACKS AND ASIANS (hey I'm speaking the only language you understand - that made you look, didn't it)?
At least the BBC's service doesn't jam legal airwaves and make me wake up to some unknown, impossible to understand station in the morning. They have been doing this since the mid-'60s, so why grumble about it now? It's clear that a lot of you haven't a clue how long the BBC have done this, let alone its existence until now.
- Nowan King, London
The BBC in their political correct fantasy world are a bunch of hypocrites in the real world.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
"British Asians" come from highly varied backgrounds. Some are highly sophisticated & Westernized others little more than savages.
It is racist & insulting to bracket them all together.
Like the multiculturalism that the BBC rams down our throats, such channels are divisive & distasteful to the Brits. There should be one community & one only in the UK, & skin colour should be irrelevant
- British Not Racist, Bracknell England
@Roger, Winchester: "How about replacing it with an Anglo Saxon station? That would be novel."
It would be novel, but fairly pointless, as Anglo-Saxon hasn't been spoken in this country since the 11th century.
- Helen, West London
Squiz@ Where did India come into the conversation?! I was giving a general statement. To be honest, I don't know much about India either... but I did hear recently that they are giving 'aid' by recruiting Western graduates 
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
With all the separate Asian, black and white channels in this country, it is hardly surprising that the communities of this country are so segregated. There are so many Asian channel and this is perhaps why so many Asians who live in Britain permanently cannot speak English.
- Anthony, London
Frankly the listening figures suggest that a majority Brit Asians like myself have a hybrid of tastes and are served adequately by the plethora of Asians radio stations and tv stations already available , sunrise , club asia etc .
The unit is from a bygone era when we werent particularly served well but that was then and times have and are changing . Its secular and self serving . I myself apreciate the `bolly fare` from the station but thats not a usp is it ?? Where the docs etc ? Where are the current affairs . My impression was that it simply singled out the 20-25 listener with narrow music tastes. It straight -jacketed its approach . The half a million drop in listeners proves it .
Its time they shape up or ship out !
- Philip Chadha, Southall
Sanjay, Do those countrys populations pay for it? thought not...Theyd be a riot...
Anyone can receive other countrys satallite channels and if you want to see them buy a dish thats not the point im trying to prove....
Id be insulted if I felt I had to have British TV whilst living in a Foreign country, If I had their nationalty on my passport I would watch their Television programmes, you know to learn the local language and culture, its called integration....
- Dac - Ealing, London
Sanjay - "Maybe they could lose all British TV / Stations in Asia as well? I thought not..." to be frank I don't give a damn what they get up to India and neither does the majority of the UK populace. I certainly don't want to pay for Radio or TV stations in India in the same way I don't want my tax money spent on aid for India when they're wasting money trying to go to the moon.
- Squiz, Islington
DAC@ Probably the same reason they have British stations / TV in Asia
Maybe they could lose all British TV / Stations in Asia as well? I thought not...
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
How about replacing it with an Anglo Saxon station? That would be novel.
- Roger, Winchester, England
It’s a total disgrace that the BBC should be promoting segregation with a minority and racially discriminatory radio station, subsidised by everyone else. Its also patronising to Asians to suggest that they want a separate public service broadcaster. Any demand for racial or cultural stations are met by commercial operators.
The BBC still thinks it can be a World broadcaster, but this is outdated thinking. China and India now have their own Worldwide networks. A new Government should look to break it up and sell off its components and relieve the burden off the taxpayer and remove it is a propaganda tool for the Left leaning elite.
- Danny, NW5
I think the money,could be much better spent on other radio station. The BBC only set up this, so as to "BE SEEN" doing the right thing for asian listner. Now that asian listner are not that interested, it should be scrapped. BBC can ill afford to throw more money away on politically correct radio for this minority of listners.
- Alan, London
Err not wishing to be hounded out as a racist which im not but why have an Asian Station at all, shouldnt it be in Asia? Were all British arent we? Is this classed as integration and will help its cause? er no. Its dicriminating against non Asians and it offends me.
- Dac - Ealing, London
If ever there was a time for starting an Asian national radio network paid for by advertising, this is it. One has only to glance through the number of Asian tv channels on the Sky satellite to see the revenue potential for a team of enterprising entrepreneurs. What it needs is nationally-available wavelengths.
- Martyn L, kingston
What a shambles. I thought Sunrise was the big asian station so why is the public paying for such a minority service ? Mismanagement, theft, racism, costs more than any other BBC station . Why ? This should be investigated immediately and the station shut down at once. If this were Radio Cornwall or Radio Cardiff it would be shut by now.
- Squiz, Islington
Does BBC management really scrutinize "expenses" declared by BBC staff working abroad ?
- Peter, LAOS
