BBC Asian Network

BBC Asian Network
Logo used since 2022
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom and Internationally via Satellite and BBC Sounds
Frequency
[1]
Programming
FormatMusic, News & Entertainment
Ownership
OwnerBBC
History
First air date
  • 4 November 1996 (1996-11-04) (on AM in the Midlands)
  • 28 October 2002 (2002-10-28) (nationally on DAB)
Technical information
Licensing authority
Ofcom
Links
Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/ Edit this at Wikidata

BBC Asian Network is a British Asian radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station's target audience is people "with an interest in British Asian lifestyles",[2] especially British Asians between the ages of 18 and 34.[3] The station has production centres at Broadcasting House in London and The Mailbox in Birmingham.

The station broadcasts mainly in English, but has retained Sunday evening shows in South Asian languages. Despite the name, BBC Asian Network covers only the Indian subcontinent, with the rest of the continent – such as Japan and China – not covered by the station.

The station's output consists largely of music and talk programmes.[4] On Fridays at 3:00 pm, the station broadcasts The Official Asian Music Chart,[5] compiled by the Official Charts Company and based on sales and streams across a seven-day period.[6]

According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 448,000 with a listening share of 0.2% as of December 2023.[7]

  1. ^ "BBC - Radio - Radio Frequencies". www.bbc.co.uk.
  2. ^ "BBC - About Asian Network". BBC.
  3. ^ "BBC Radio - Information for suppliers to Radio - BBC Asian Network".
  4. ^ "Asian Network - Listen Live - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ "BBC Asian Network - The Official Asian Music Chart". BBC.
  6. ^ "Official Charts". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ^ "RAJAR". www.rajar.co.uk.