About Me
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/
08_august/02/1xtra.shtml
1Xtra first went on the air at 6pm, August 16 2002. The first DJs on air were Rampage and KC, and the first record played was Dangerous by Rodney P & Skitz.
This page has been started in response to the unfathomable programming changes made to BBC 1Xtra at the beginning of August 2007 (to access this digital & online music station visit: www.bbc.co.uk/1Xtra).
We are not by definition opposed to change, far from it, but what we are opposed to is change for the worst and when changes appear to negate progress made in the first 5 years of the station's development, they have neither sense nor meaning.
Presenters affected by these changes will be on air until early September 2007, only to be replaced with mainstream dross that is already, we're sure you'll agree, over-represented on the airwaves.
What a shame that BBC 1Xtra have not only disrespected their UK TV licence-payers, who after all are funding this non-commercial station, but also, have complete disregard for their own initial ethos & the interests of their listeners. Our understanding was that this station was designed to bridge a gap not met by existing BBC programming at the time of it's launch in 2002 and to enable less prevalent, more underground forms of music to be showcased Worldwide via this digital & internet platform.
1Xtra are going along the sorry lines of many other stations who once had credibility & the ear/support of their listeners and it's really a case of 'another one bites the dust'.
The fact that the station is UK based (although accessible Worldwide) and that UK music in particular has taken a hit surely cannot be a conscious 1Xtra decision? If it is, then 1Xtra, you should bow your heads in shame. Those in the music industry are fighting for survival at the moment & in a climate of piracy, poor record sales, mainstream mediocrity and reality TV gone mad, outlets for creative, genuine, heartfelt (and often homegrown) movements such as UK hip hop, drum & bass, soulful house, reggae etc are needed more than ever.
1Xtra, we once saluted you and your ideals, but like so many things in this World, those ideals have been replaced by performance indicators and a desire to cater to the lowest common denominator.
Presenters whose shows have been taken off the schedule are those catering for less mainstream (but by no means miniscule) audiences and it's a great shame that 1Xtra is so short-sighted that it cannot see the negative connotations of its programming decisions. This will have a Worldwide impact and don't be surprised if you lose your listeners who have supported the station's efforts since its inception - for some genres, this was one of the main outlets to a Worldwide audience and listeners in other countries, especially where this is their only access to such music, are going to be hit hard by this news. Then again, for each of those listeners, you'll probably gain another 10 mainstream people, so on paper, this could look like an improvement (back to those performance indicators again!).
The UK has a proud tradition of being universally acknowledged as a hotbed for original musical talent/output and this retrograde step detracts from the efforts of the many presenters sharing this originality with both new & existing supporters of good music around the UK & the World.
1Xtra, we can only hope that you see sense soon and return to your core values, what a shame that a venture that showed such promise/had such widespread support, has taken a step that could undo all its hard work.
And finally...
Much love & respect to the presenters affected by the changes - you always have a place in our hearts & will hopefully be able to showcase your talents via another broadcast medium soon. Big up & keep bringing the goodness!!
To those presenters who remain on the station, best of luck to you in repping your sounds and we hope your tenure is secured for the foreseeable future, so you can continue to showcase sounds that are being increasingly marginalised by the BBC.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
peace.
