BBC 6 Music and Asian Network Win at Sony Radio Academy Awards

Digital radio stations BBC 6 Music and Asian Network have both won honours at this year's Sony Radio Academy Awards -- the British radio industry's equivalent of the Oscars. Both stations have been earmarked for closing following a strategic review by the BBC.

Former Pulp singer turned presenter of 6 Music's Sunday afternoon show Jarvis Cocker scooped the rising star award and the Adam and Joe Show walked away with the gong for Best Comedy. Asian Network's Nihal nabbed the award for Best Speech programme.

Speaking to the BBC, Cocker -- who only joined 6 Music at the beginning of 2010 -- said, "6 Music is never going to be the biggest station in the UK but it would be devastating if it was to close. Music isn't going to change the world, it just wants to make it a bit nicer."

Comedian and winner Adam Buxton joked, "My children went to school and boasted about the fact that their dad was on Radio 1 and knew Chris Moyles.

"When the children found out that wasn't true and, in fact, the station that Dad was on was closing, it was very disappointing."

As previously reported in Spinner, 6 Music recorded the biggest year-on-year listenership increase of any of the BBC's national radio stations. The closure proposals are currently under consultation by the BBC Trust. The Trust's chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, has said that the decision to close the station may be be reversed if 6 Music gains enough public support during the consultation process.