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BBC 6 Music

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BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's newest radio stations, launched on March 11, 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years.

It is only available via digital media - DAB radio, the Internet and the various forms of digital television. The station plays "alternative" genres of music, including indie, classic rock, punk, jazz, funk and hip hop, and generally provides an alternative to the more mainstream, chart oriented Radio 1 and Radio 2. BBC 6 Music was originally set up as a sister station of Radio 2.

As one founding premise of the station, many BBC 6 Music shows make significant use of the extensive BBC session and live music archives belonging to the BBC (including the impressive "Peel Sessions" put together by the late John Peel), which, in a rock context, can go back forty years or more.

There are also intimate live music in-studio sessions with contemporary artists, somewhat reminiscent of "unplugged sessions", on a number of shows, but especially in the 6 Music "hub" pioneered by the presenter Gideon Coe on his morning show, and also right in the broadcast studio on the Evening Sequence show with Tom Robinson.

Another founding premise is that there is a high level of live, on-air interactivity with the listening audience, both active and passive, making use of the modern technological tools available, such as the World Wide Web, text messaging, emails and the like. Listeners can frequently in vivo decide which upcoming songs will or won't be played on shows.

The station's presenters are generally regarded as experts in their musical field.

BBC 6 Music was awarded the Best Digital Radio Station of the year, 2005, by the BT Digital Music Awards (DMA). [DMA 2005 official website], [BBC press release about winning the award].

In an article in The Independent, (London), 23rd May 2005, by Ian Burrell, entitled "ANALYSIS: RADIO: Lend them your ears", the author thus describes BBC 6 Music:

"BBC 6 MUSIC
Audience: 311,000
Expect: New Order, Blur, British Sea Power

A great station for the music cognoscenti, it has the feel of an indie record shop where they know every record ever made, who produced it, who played on it, what label it was on and who designed the sleeve. That's maybe why some women say it's 'too blokey'. Star DJs include Steve Lamacq and Bruce Dickinson. Liz Kershaw and Jane Gazzo try to correct any imbalance. The best thing is Dream Ticket, where you imagine you're at some of the greatest gigs ever."

Its listenership has been growing in number, and the February 2, 2006 RAJAR ratings show that it had increased its listenership nearly 50% in the previous year. [link]

In March 2006, BBC 6 Music moved its studios from Broadcasting House to newly built studios in the adjacent Western House. [link]

Contents

Station management

Presenters and shows

Past presenters

See also

External links

BBC Radio stations
FM/AM: Radio 1 | Radio 2 | Radio 3 | Radio 4 | Radio Five Live
Digital: 6 Music | BBC 7 | 1Xtra | Five Live Sports Extra | Asian Network
Nations: Radio Scotland | Radio nan Gaidheal | Radio Wales | Radio Cymru | Radio Ulster | Radio Foyle
English Regions: BBC Local Radio
International: BBC World Service

 

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