Editing BBC Asian Network (section)

===Threat of closure===
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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100423170054/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</ref> The proposal of closure – along with [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] – was later confirmed on 2 March.<ref>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</ref>

Listeners writing on the official Asian Network message boards advocated keeping their station at the expense of 6 Music,<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbasiannetwork/F4154526?thread=7339903 BBC – Asian Network closure: BBC consultation]</ref> and letter was written to the BBC Trust and had been signed by people, with the actual number of signatories was artificially boosted with some signing their name more than once (as both a single name and as part of different collectives).<ref>"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</ref> The BBC Trust rejected plans to close 6 Music and later in 2011 rejected plans to close the Asian Network in favour of reducing its budget by 50%.<ref>BBC Trust rejects 6 Music closure plan [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10507286] BBC News, 5 July 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 March 2011 |title=BBC considers Asian Network U-turn |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12735433 |work=BBC News}}</ref>