BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music[1] is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years.[2] It is available only on digital media: DAB radio, BBC Sounds, digital television, and throughout northern and western Europe through the Astra 2B satellite.
For other stations known as Radio 6, see Radio 6.United Kingdom and Internationally via Satellite and BBC Sounds
- DAB: 12B BBC National DAB
- Freesat: 707
- Freeview: 707
- Sky (UK only): 0120
- Virgin Media: 909
- Virgin Media Ireland: 912
- Astra 2E (28.2°E)
- Intelsat 901 (18°W)
English
11 March 2002
BBC 6 Music (2002–2011)
BBC Radio 6 Music has been described as a "dedicated alternative music station".[3] Many presenters have argued against the perception that the main focus is indie guitar music.[4] The station itself describes its output as "the cutting edge music of today, the iconic and groundbreaking music of the past 40 years and unlimited access to the BBC's wonderful music archive".[5] Its format resembles eclectic radio as seen in other countries, as while there is a programmed playlist there is a wide range of music genres played on the station with pop, rock, dance, electronic, indie, hip-hop, R&B, punk, funk, grime, metal, soul, ska, house, reggae, jazz, blues, world, techno, experimental and many other genres played regularly on the station. Added to this is a greater degree of presenter choice in relation to the programmed playlist in comparison to other BBC radio stations but particularly compared to commercial radio. Since 2014, an annual music festival, 6 Music Festival, has been held in different cities around the United Kingdom and broadcast live on the station. Beginning in 2023 the 6 Music Festival will be held only in Greater Manchester every year with a more scaled back event. [6][7]
In July 2010, the BBC Trust announced it had rejected a proposal by the BBC to close 6 Music to provide commercial rivals more room.[8] The trust commented that the station was "well-liked by its listeners, was highly distinctive and made an important contribution".[9] In 2018, 6 Music was the most listened-to digital-only radio station, with an average weekly audience of 2.53 million.[10]
According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 2.5 million with a listening share of 2.6% as of December 2023.[11]
Statistics[edit]
Ratings and listenership[edit]
In February 2010, 6 Music was reported as showing growth in its audience, winning an audience of 695,000 listeners over the first quarter, up 12.3% year-on-year.[55] However, in the quarter to December 2009, its "reach" (proportion of the adult population who listen for at least five minutes in the course of an average week) was 1%, and Total Survey Area share (of total listening time) was 0.4%.[56]
According to the BBC's service review of Radio 2 and 6 Music, published in February 2010, the average age of 6 Music listeners was 36, which led the authors to suggest more might be done to attract older listeners, considering the station played a broad range of music from the 1960s to the present day. The review also claimed that the deficiency in appeal to female listeners apparent in 2007 was still in existence, and that there should be changes to attract more listeners from ethnic minorities and lower income groups.[52] However, the review did not give details of the scale of these issues.
Following the proposal to close the station, online listening figures rose significantly. The number of weekly unique online listeners rose to an average of 133,653 in March 2010, up 50 per cent on the previous March.[57] When the RAJAR listening figures were released in May 2010, it was revealed that 6 Music had an average of 1.02 million listeners in the first three months of the year, compared to 695,000 the previous year.[58]
In 2011, 6 Music had a total audience of 1.3 million listeners in the three months to 27 March, up from 1.14m in the previous quarter, according to the latest data from the Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) board. Buoyed by shows from high-profile DJs such as Jarvis Cocker, Huey Morgan and Lauren Laverne, 6 Music has also grown its audience from 1.02m in the first quarter of 2010.[59] The station broke more records in 2012, with a total audience of 1.62 million in the third quarter of the year.[60] For the last month of 2012 RAJAR reported 6 Music listening figures had overtaken BBC Radio 4 Extra to become the most-listened-to digital-only radio station in the United Kingdom.[61] The same report also showed that 6 Music had surpassed BBC Radio 3 in listening share, an increase of 31% from the year previously.
In 2014, a report was released stating that BBC Radio 6 Music had overtaken BBC Radio 3 in numbers of listeners per week for the first time. The digital station's weekly average was 1.89m listeners (up 5.5% on 2013) while BBC Radio 3's average weekly listenership was 1.884m.[62]
In 2018, BBC Radio 6 Music was the 10th most popular radio station as measured by weekly reach – between Talksport and Absolute Radio – and the 6th most popular as measured by listener hours – between BBC Radio 5 Live and Kiss.[63]
Listener figures peaked at 2.8million in 2022,[64] with figures in 2023 up year-on-year to 2.7 million.[65]
Press coverage[edit]
Nominations and awards[edit]
Several of BBC 6 Music's presenters and shows have won Sony Radio Academy Awards. In 2006 presenter Marc Riley won a Silver award for The Music Radio Personality of the Year.[66] In April 2008, comedy duo Adam and Joe's 6 Music Saturday morning show won the Broadcasting Press Guild award for Radio Programme of the Year.[67] George Lamb also won the Sony 'Rising Star' award. In May 2009, Adam and Joe won three Sony Radio Silver awards.[68]
Following the announcement that 6 Music was to be closed, Adam and Joe won the best comedy prize at the Sony Radio Academy Awards in May 2010, with Jarvis Cocker winning the rising star award, voted for by listeners, for their 6 Music shows.[69] Two years later, the station was named UK Station of the Year at the Sonys, with the judges citing its "confidence across its schedule that not only reflects a real passion for music but also a firm understanding of the audience they are broadcasting to."[70]
Controversies[edit]
In 2007 BBC 6 Music was in the press because of scandals over rigged competitions. It emerged that in 2006 the Liz Kershaw Show faked a competition by using producers and their friends as "competition winners", leading to the firing of a junior producer.[71] On 20 September 2007, it was announced that the Head of Programmes, Ric Blaxill, had resigned.[72]
In May 2008 George Lamb was reprimanded for using his programme to back Conservative candidate Boris Johnson for London mayor.[73]
Events[edit]
6 Music Festival[edit]
In January 2014 the BBC launched 6 Music Festival, a new music festival featuring artists that "share the alternative spirit of the network".[74] The festival takes place in a different city each year, with the first edition held in Manchester in February 2014 and headlined by Damon Albarn.[74] Tickets sold out in six minutes for the event, but Albarn's headline set was criticised and it was claimed that the festival "just didn't work".[75][76]
6 Music Festival returned in 2015 in Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, with performances from Neneh Cherry, Royal Blood, The Charlatans and Hot Chip.[77] The festival was praised as a "triumphant celebration of the left-field",[78] and compared favourably to the 2014 event.[76] The 2016 event was held across three venues in Bristol with performances from Foals and Bloc Party.[79] The daily capacity was 5,000.[80]
The 2017 edition took place in March of that year (unlike previous festivals, which took place in February) in Glasgow, and included major sets from Future Islands, Sparks, Depeche Mode, The Shins and Belle and Sebastian. It again included evening gigs, daytime gigs, talks and screenings.[81] No festival took place in 2018. However, the station did curate the Belfast event of the Biggest Weekend.
The 2019 edition of the festival took place in Liverpool.[82] It ran for three days across four different venues and included sets from The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Anna Calvi, John Grant, Idles, Fontaines D.C. and She drew the gun.
The 2020 edition was held at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London.[83][84][85][86][87]
The 2022 edition took place in Cardiff.[88] Róisín Murphy headlined the Saturday night event.
The 2023 BBC Radio 6 Music Festival[89] was held in Manchester at the O2 Victoria Warehouse (headline acts), Band on the Wall (BBC Music Introducing showcases) and RAMONA (DJ mix show).[90] Acts taking part included Tim Burgess, Christine and the Queens, Hot Chip, Lava La Rue, Phoebe Green, Antony Szmierek, Afflecks Palace, Arlo Parks and the Big Moon.[91][92]