13 May 2010 - Coldplay, La Roux, Sigur Ros, The Zutons and Delphic are amongst the latest artists to add their voices to the campaign against the proposed closure of radio station BBC 6 Music as a major new survey today confirmed the passion and commitment of the stations’ listeners.
The survey, conducted by recording industry trade body The BPI via its 6 Music campaign website http://www.thejoyof6.com, found that half of (49.1%) 6 Music’s listeners are tuning in every single day, with a further third (32.5%) listening most days of the week.
Those surveyed spelled out their reasons for listening – 98.1% agreed that 6 Music played a lot of music they didn’t hear on other stations, unsurprising given that 97.7% also liked discovering new music and 7 in 10 listeners strongly disagreed with the notion that they preferred music they were familiar with. Three quarters (75.0%) said they went to see bands play live after hearing them on 6 Music.
Tony Wadsworth, BPI Chairman, said, “The clamour of voices from the artist community is getting louder and clearer – some of Britain’s biggest bands are deeply concerned about proposed closure of 6 Music, and many artists are also afraid that it will deny newcomers the opportunity they’ve had to get started.”
BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor added, “6 Music’s listeners have told us that they love discovering new bands, and, for them, the station is airing new music that isn’t getting playlisted elsewhere. The proposed closure of 6 Music would mean less exposure for new music, which would have a significant and negative impact on Britain’s cultural heritage.”
Well over a quarter (28.4%) of respondents confirmed that they’d been listening to 6 Music since it launched in 2002. Most people (42.0%) had been listeners for three or four years, with 10.7% of those surveyed stating that they’d started listening during the past year.
The survey found that DAB digital radio was overwhelmingly the most popular way that people listened to 6 Music, with four-fifths of respondents (80.6%) choosing to enjoy the station this way. The next most favoured methods of tuning in were online via the BBC website (53.2%), BBC iPlayer (39.7%) and via Freeview or satellite TV (36.4%).
6 Music listeners also listened to a number of other digital radio stations on a regular basis, with BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (44.9%) the most popular, followed by BBC Radio 7 (36.0%) and Planet Rock (19.6%).
A number of artists confirmed their support for the campaign to prevent the closure of 6 Music today, with comments including:
Coldplay:
“We would like to voice our strong opposition to the dropping of 6 Music and the Asian network from the BBC's roster. We have noticed, on our travels, that two of the things which people most love about Britain are its musical output and the BBC. They're both widely recognised as being second to none.
“Part of the reason for this lies in the varied and sometimes experimental content that the BBC, not having always to answer to commercial requirements, is able to programme.
“6 Music, for example, nurtures and celebrates the music that hasn't yet joined the mainstream. It provides an important platform for developing and left of centre artists, and its loss would be a significant blow to Britain's music industry both creatively and commercially.”
Elly Jackson (La Roux):
“6 Music was the first station to play La Roux. In fact, 6 Music is nearly always the first radio station to pick up on exciting new music, many others only following suit when they are certain a track will be a hit and scared to play anything not directly aimed at the commercial market. New bands and bands that maybe didn’t cross over so well in to the mainstream just wouldn’t get played otherwise.
“6 Music is the only station that plays diverse and interesting music and the only place where you can hear intelligent, music orientated interviews. I for one feel that no other radio station is really aimed at music lovers, tuning in to listen to songs rather than a ‘DJ personality’ blathering on about vacuous celebrities. It would be a tragic loss and I offer my support wholeheartedly to the save 6 Music campaign.”
Sigur Ros:
“Take it from a country who knows a thing or two about both financial ruination and cultural isolation, do not cut this service. Britain needs this grass roots exposure for new music and great old music, or else it's going to be wall-to-wall X-f*cking-factor and the ‘consumer-analysis’ marketing nincompoops will have won.”
Dave McCabe (The Zutons):
“The BBC can’t possibly close 6 Music, what will happen to the best new music and passing on the knowledge of old music? What other station plays bands like The National and then follows it with Curtis Mayfield and then the Beastie Boys? It's just wrong to even consider it, it will make fewer young people want to listen to the radio and therefore less new stuff will happen, sort ya heads out please.”
Delphic:
”6 Music is a fantastic radio station, one that, rather than just being on in the background or because it's your first preset, you seek out and actively enjoy. The presenters seem to be DJs first and foremost, and the freedom given to them is doubly enjoyed by the listener, a constant ‘I’ve not heard this song in ages, and it's great'. On the other hand, in terms of launching new music, 6 Music is also at the forefront, the support they have given ourselves and many other current bands cannot be quantified.
“If 6 music is closed it will be a great shame, another nail in the coffin of an enormous part of our culture not shared by many countries, something seemingly destined to a bland homogeny, and something we should not let happen. ”
The BPI’s campaign - centred around the website http://www.thejoyof6.com - has also attracted the support of Snow Patrol, Depeche Mode, The Ting Tings, The Cure, Katie Melua, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow, Doves, Bloc Party, Brett Anderson (Suede, The Tears), Peter Hook (New Order, Joy Division) Duran Duran, Friendly Fires, Editors, Athlete, The Courteneers, Bolt Thrower, Peggy Seeger, Isaac’s Aircraft and Patch William.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The online survey garnered 1,276 responses from its launch on April 28 to May 10, 2010.
For further information on BPI, please contact:
Adam Liversage on 020 7803 1326 / 0780 1179032 or email adam.liversage@bpi.co.uk.
Lynne McDowell on 020 7803 1395 / 0776 3619709 or email lynne.mcdowell@bpi.co.uk.
About BPI
The BPI is the representative voice of the UK recorded music business. We are a trade organisation funded by our members - which include hundreds of independent music companies and the UK’s four major record labels. BPI members account for approximately 90% of all recorded music sold in the UK, and globally the UK's recorded music market is the third biggest.
The BPI also organises the annual BRIT Awards show as well as the Classical BRIT Awards show. The organising company BRIT Awards Limited, is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Substantial proceeds from both shows go to the BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has donated almost £15m to charitable causes nationwide, since its foundation in 1989.