Category: Asian
Network; Radio
Leicester
Date: 03.06.2005
Printable version
On Saturday 4 June, the 大象传媒's Asian Network
follows 大象传媒 Radio Leicester to take up residence at the new state-of-the-art
broadcasting centre in St Nicholas Place, Leicester.
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The centre will be home to the hub of the Asian Network,
housing the management of the station, its newsroom and its sport operation.
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Many of the station's key programmes broadcast from
the Leicester studios: Gagan Grewal presents the station's
daily breakfast show; the hit new team of Raj and Pablo
entertain the listeners at lunchtime; and Sanjeet Saund blends
music, entertainment and sports coverage on Saturday afternoons.
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A significant proportion of the South Asian language
output also originates in Leicester, with programmes in Gujarati and
Punjabi.
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Vijay Sharma, Head of the Asian Network, welcomes the
move from the cramped Epic House, which has been home to the 大象传媒 in
Leicester since 1967.
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She says: "Because of its association with the development
of Asian programming on Radio Leicester into today's national digital
network, Epic House will always hold special memories for me - but I'm
really excited by the move to a purpose built centre for the station.
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"From a single live studio we now have a suite which
will enable and encourage more ambitious programming. I'm sure our journalists,
producers, contributors and guests will love the feel and atmosphere
of a new building which has real architectural merit.
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"It's a great place to make great programmes for
the only national network based out of London."
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Radio Leicester began broadcasting from St Nicholas
Place at the beginning of April.
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The centre has seven studios, equipped with the latest
technology.
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Website teams for Leicestershire and the Asian Network
are also on site, along with television facilities for the regional
news programme East Midlands Today.
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Visitors can see the presenters at work through the
specially designed viewing windows; and a 大象传媒 shop, stocking a variety
of 大象传媒 DVDs, videos, audio and books - along with a cyber caf茅 - opens
on Monday 6 June.
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An interactive open centre where people can come along
to learn multimedia skills and produce content for both radio and the
web is due to open shortly.
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Visitors will even be able to see into the past, as
special lighting and glass panels in the floor of the cyber cafe provide
a viewing point to an important Norman archaeological site that is underneath
the building.
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Local artist Ashok Mistry is creating
a work of public art inspired by the Norman remains for display, too.
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Notes to Editors
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A brief history of the Asian
Network
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1977
Recognising the growing importance of the city's Asian
community, Radio Leicester stripped Asian programmes across the week.
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The nightly Monday to Friday hour-long Six O'Clock Show
revolutionised Asian programming on 大象传媒 Radio - which had hitherto been
single programmes on local radio and on
Radio 4.
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Audience research revealed massive take-up of the programme,
with a 67 per cent reach of the Leicester Asian community.
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1977 - 1988
The range of programming was extended to include language
and literacy-skill drama serials, Kahani Apni Apni and Chalo Kaam Kare.
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大象传媒 WM followed Leicester's lead and stripped Asian
programmes across the week. Both stations achieved substantial audiences.
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Plans were laid for shared Asian programmes across the
Midlands, on the AM frequencies of Radio Leicester and 大象传媒 WM, to be
named The Asian Network.
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1989
World Service bulletins in Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali
were broadcast nightly for the first time on Radio Leicester (17 October),
and the syndication of World Service South Asian programming from a
unit based in Leicester for all 大象传媒 local radio stations was established.
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On 30 October, the Asian Network was launched on 大象传媒
WM and 大象传媒 Radio Leicester - with a combined output of 70 hours per
week.
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1991
A proposal was put forward for a national federal Asian
Network, using key LR medium wave frequencies in all major centres of
Asian population (July).
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This ambition was not realised as the 大象传媒 agreed to
yield the key London and Manchester medium wave frequency, 1458kHz,
to the Radio Authority in order to safeguard the Asian Network.
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A public campaign in the Midlands to retain Leicester
and WM AM frequencies was led by Local Radio Advisory Councils.
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The then Director-General of the 大象传媒, Michael Checkland,
refused to yield the frequencies to the Radio Authority. Wrangling lasted
for two years.
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1993 - 1996
There was a successful conclusion to the campaign. Radio
Leicester and 大象传媒 WM's frequencies were retained when the 大象传媒 identified
other frequencies for the Radio Authority.
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A period of consolidation followed, with both 大象传媒 WM
and Radio Leicester broadcasting their own and shared Asian programming
seven days per week, from the afternoon until midnight.
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The Asian Network was established as a 24-hour regional
station in its own right, with its own Editor, staff and advisory council.
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1996 - 1998
The Asian Network expanded from its Midlands base and
gained limited access to Local Radio AM in the north, the north-west,
Derbyshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Peterborough.
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The station's own newsroom was established in Leicester
with reporters in London, Leeds, Manchester and the Midlands.
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It provided regular news bulletins of regional, national
and international news from a British Asian perspective.
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2000-2002
The focus of the station shifted from serving the Midland
Asian population to the UK as a national service for all Asian communities.
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The then Director-General of the 大象传媒, Greg Dyke, determined
that as a national network, the 大象传媒 Asian Network should cease to report
to the Nations and Regions Directorate and join the family of national
radio stations within Radio and Music.
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The station gained further platforms when it was made
available on the internet and on some cable services.
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In 2001, Government approval was given for the station
to broadcast nationally on DAB.
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2002
In order to cope with its new role, a significant increase
in programme and news staffing was undertaken; a sports service established;
and the management team strengthened.
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On 28 October, the Asian Network was launched as a national
station on DAB with programming originating from London, Leicester and
Birmingham.
