The Stage

BBC to overhaul digital station Asian Network

Published Tuesday 27 September 2005 at 11:15 by Liz Thomas

Digital radio station BBC Asian Network is to receive extra cash to fund a radical shake-up of its editorial and commissioning structure.

The channel has an annual budget of £5.4 million but will be given more in order to recruit three new executive posts - head of news, head of music and network co-ordinator - as well as more than a dozen new editorial jobs. For the first time it has also been given a budget to commission from independent producers.

The move follows criticism of the channel’s programming in a government-commissioned report on the BBC’s digital radio services by former Channel 4 director of programmes Tim Gardam, who labelled it “unambitious”.

The plans for the revamp have been provisionally approved by both Corporation director-general Mark Thompson and director of radio Jenny Abramsky but final details, including the size of the new budget, will be formally agreed by the board of governors next month.

A spokesman for the station said: “The Asian Network is expanding. We are one of the few departments at this time that is actually taking people on. There will be significant changes to the schedule and we’ll be commissioning from all radio producers - not just in-house. While television and analogue radio stations have targets, digital stations are not subject to this. They probably will be in the future, but we wanted to start working on that now.”

The station had close to 500,000 listeners a year ago but had dropped down to 440,000 according to the latest figures from Rajar, released in June.