BBC plans to launch four new spin-off radio stations criticised by commercial radio sector

nme.com:

BBC‘s announcement of its plans to launch four new radio stations has attracted criticism from the commercial radio sector.The four stations, which will air via DAB+ and BBC Sounds, will be the first BBC stations launched digitally since 1Xtra, 6Music and the Asian Network in 2002.The stations, which are currently unnamed, are intented to give listeners “more choice and value from the licence fee”.

The BBC added that they will “delve deeper into specific genres and periods of music with context, curation and storytelling done in a way only the BBC can do”.There will be a Radio 1 spin-off, which will play music from the 2000s and 2010s to capture the recent wave of nostalgia for these time periods. “Lesser-heard gems” will be spotlighted from high-profile artists.

The station will also act as a hub for developing new talent on- and off-air.A Radio 2 spin-off is also in the works, which will focus on the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

It will feature “a distinctive take on pop nostalgia” and will highlight “some of the people who shaped the cultural landscape at the time” as well as some of the station’s current presenters.The Radio 2 spin-off is also intended to “bring heritage artist catalogues and stories to life in a much deeper and more richly textured manner than the main mixed-genre Radio 2 schedule can allow”.Radio 3 will also acquire a new station dedicated honing in on classical music, targeted towards those wanting to “unwind, de-stress and escape the pressures of daily life”.