Editing BBC Asian Network (section)

==History==

===Origins as a regional programme / station===
[[File:BBC Asian Network.svg|thumb|250px|BBC Asian Network logo (2012–2022)]]
[[File:BBC Asian Network Studio The Mailbox Birmingham 20041228.jpg|thumb|250px|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 (filmmaker)|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]].<ref name=bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia|author=Hayat, Anupam|article=Ahmed, Nazir}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite thesis|last1=McCarthy|first1=Liam|title=Dr.|url=https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.11798622|website=Connecting with new Asian communities: BBC Local Radio 1967-1990|year=2020|publisher=University of Leicester|doi=10.25392/leicester.data.11798622|access-date=16 June 2021|type=thesis}}</ref> In 1989, [[BBC Radio WM|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 Radio London|BBC GLR]] which was an [[FM broadcasting|FM]]-only station).

===Station goes national===
In November 1999, as part of the addition of a suite of BBC and commercial radio services to the [[Sky UK|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 [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|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".

===2006 branding and 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/04_april/03/asiannetwork.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - New era for BBC Asian Network starts here|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> 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 rebranded again to add prominence to the Asian aspect of the logo.

===Drama output until 2010===
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''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-25 |title=Image Dissectors - Asian Network's Soap Cancelled |url=http://www.imagedissectors.com/article/33 |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925181649/http://www.imagedissectors.com/article/33 |archive-date=25 September 2017 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/11_november/16/asian.shtml Changes to drama on BBC Asian Network BBC Press Release], 16 November 2009.</ref>

''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.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/08_august/13/asian.shtml Press Release], 8 August 2010</ref>

===2020s===
In March 2022, ''BBC Introducing on Asian Network'' with Jasmine Takhar was nominated for Best Radio Show at the Music Week Awards. It was the first Asian Network show with a Music Week Award nomination since the awards were launched. The show would be nominated again in 2023. The show also celebrated International Women’s Day broadcasting from [[Maida Vale Studios]].

In February 2023, the network launched their first tour with Nikita Kanda's breakfast show visiting Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.

BBC Asian Network were part of the BBC Introducing Showcase at the [[The Great Escape Festival|Great Escape Festival]] on Friday 12 May at the Paganini Ballroom in Brighton.

Breakfast show host Nikita Kanda took part in [[Strictly Come Dancing (series 21)|21st series]] of [[Strictly Come Dancing]] where she was the second person voted out of the show.

In February 2024, BBC Introducing on Asian Network with Jasmine Takhar was nominated for best radio show at the Music Week Awards.

In February 2025, The Official British Asian Music Chart with Jasmine Takhar is nominated for best radio show at the Music Week Awards 10 months after the show launching.