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BBC Radio 1Xtra

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Not to be confused with BBC Radio 1.

BBC Radio 1Xtra
Logo used since 2021
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom and Internationally via Satellite and BBC Sounds
FrequencyDAB: 12B (BBC National DAB)
Freeview: 701
Freesat: 701
Sky UK: 0127
Virgin Media: 907
Astra 2E (28.2°E) satellite
Intelsat 901 (18°W) satellite
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatElectronic, hip hop, R&B, dancehall
Ownership
OwnerBBC
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 Dance
History
First air date
16 August 2002; 22 years ago (2002-08-16)
Technical information
Licensing authority
Ofcom
Links
WebsiteBBC Radio 1Xtra via BBC Sounds
BBC Radio
Nationwide
Digital-only

BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1.[1] Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been code named "Network X" during the consultation period. At the time, the station was listed as "1 Xtra BBC" on many electronic programming guides. The station broadcasts from the 8th floor of Broadcasting House, shared with Radio 1 and the Asian Network.

According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 786,000 with a listening share of 0.3% as of March 2024.[citation needed]

Music policy

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BBC Radio 1Xtra's music includes largely British, North American, Caribbean and African hip hop, grime, drill, UK garage, drum and bass, UK funky, house, R&B, comtemporary R&B, soul, dancehall, soca, reggae, afrobeats and amapiano. It is available on BBC Sounds, digital radio (DAB) and digital television. The first ever track played on 1Xtra was a specially created track produced by DJ Skitz and Rodney P and featuring Beverley Knight and Blak Twang. The five-hour show was presented by the Rampage DJ collective and the station's then breakfast show host, KC.[2]

News and speech

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As part of its public service broadcasting remit, 1Xtra is required to carry a significant amount of news, information and speech content. 1Xtra had its own news service, 1Xtra News (formerly known as "TX"), which was operated as a subsidiary of Radio 1's Newsbeat operations. The tone and style of the news presentation is in keeping with the station's overall target audience - young and predominantly urban.[3]

Initially, in addition to regular hourly bulletins, TX had a flagship weekday two-hour news, features and discussion show under the title "TX Unltd" (pronounced "Unlimited").[4] This show - initially broadcast in a 5 pm – 7 pm slot - rated poorly, however, and was later absorbed into a mixed music-and-speech format (similar to that used by Jeremy Vine on Radio 2) which aired in mid-afternoon (2 pm – 4 pm) and was named after its host, Max.[5]

In 2009, the BBC Trust agreed to a further change to the scheduling of news content on 1Xtra, such that it could use the same format successfully operated by Radio 1's Newsbeat: two 15-minute news bulletins, one in the middle of the day and another in the early evening, with other speech features, profiles and social/cultural specials being broadcast on an ad hoc basis within music-led shows, and with regular hourly news bulletins also continuing. The Trust required that 1Xtra's main bulletins not air at the same time as those on Radio 1.[6] When the new bulletins were introduced in late summer 2009, they aired at noon and 5 pm, with Radio 1's bulletins remaining at 12:45 pm and 5:45 pm.

As of Summer 2009 it was reported that Radio 1 and 1Xtra were carrying shared news bulletins at weekends;[7] weekday news output remained separate.

September 2012 saw a substantial increase in Newsbeat bulletins simulcast with Radio 1. Weekday breakfast bulletins at 6 am, 7.30 am, 8 am, 8.30 am and 9.30 am remain bespoke 1Xtra broadcasts. From 10:30 am, bulletins are shared with Radio 1, including the 15-minute Newsbeat magazines at 12:45 pm and 5:45 pm.

In the first quarter of 2011, 1Xtra was part of an efficiency review conducted by John Myers.[8] His role, according to Andrew Harrison, the chief executive of RadioCentre, was "to identify both areas of best practice and possible savings."[8]

In November 2017, reports signalled that the Roundhouse Rising concert series would partner with 1Xtra. As part of the change, the BBC curated a free grime night in the venue's Sackler Space.[9]

Audience profile

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BBC Radio 1Xtra's typical audience is between fifteen and thirty years old.[10]

According to the "Submission to the Secretary of State's review of digital channels" in March 2004, Radio 1Xtra "provides music output 24 hours a day, punctuated by bespoke BBC news bulletins and other speech output designed specifically to be pertinent to the audience."

Notable presenters

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Current notable presenters

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Weekday evening shows began with MistaJam helming a three-hour multi-genre show, followed by six hours of specialist output tailored to a particular genre (e.g. UK Garage, dancehall, etc.) Between October 2009 and spring 2010, the 4 am – 6 am slot housed a replay of selected weekend specialist programming; this and the one-hour Morning Mix programme were dropped in spring 2010 and a new six-days-a-week 'early breakfast' show (4 am – 7 am) hosted by Nick Bright was introduced. (The Saturday 4 am replay of Target's Friday night show was also axed, to make room for Bright's sixth show) This has now itself been replaced by a rerun of the previous week's overnight mix show from 4 am to 6 am, giving nine hours of specialist output.

Weekday overnights (1 am – 3 am), Saturday overnights (1 am – 4 am) and Saturday evenings (7 pm – 1 am) are now simulcast entirely with Radio 1 - this allows Radio 1's flagship urban content to air on 1Xtra.

Former notable presenters

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Logo history

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  • BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from its 2002 launch until 2007, known as "BBC 1Xtra".
    BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from its 2002 launch until 2007, known as "BBC 1Xtra".
  • BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from 2007 to 2010.
    BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from 2007 to 2010.
  • BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from 2010 to 2022.
    BBC Radio 1Xtra logo from 2010 to 2022.
  • BBC Radio 1Xtra logo since 2022.
    BBC Radio 1Xtra logo since 2022.

References

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  1. ^ "Inside the BBC: BBC Radio stations". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  2. ^ Wells, Matt (19 August 2002). "BBC enlists raw talent for radio station to woo black audience". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  3. ^ "1Xtra News homepage". BBC.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. ^ BBC Governors report includes a reference to TX Unltd Archived 3 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Max's 1Xtra page". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  6. ^ "BBC Trust review of youth audiences, 2009 (pdf) - includes approval of 1Xtra News changes" (PDF). Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Digital Spy forums: 'Radio 1 and 1Xtra share news'". Digitalspy.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  8. ^ a b Andrews, Amanda (28 November 2010). "BBC enlists commercial sector help to shake up radio". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Roundhouse Rising partners with 1Xtra". Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Submission for the Secretary of State's review of the BBC's new digital radio services". BBC. March 2004. Archived from the original on 21 March 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2006.

Sources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to BBC Radio 1Xtra.
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