Outrage over BBC's closure plans for Asian Network Radio Station - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Singer Jay Sean has led the calls for the BBC to change its mind about the closure of the Asian Network Radio Station along with 6 Music. Sean, who scored a US number one last year, said the station was an early champion of his music. "I can't believe they are trying to shut it down. This is crazy. We (Asians) have no mainstream platforms as it is," BBC quoted Sean, as having written on Twitter. The proposed closure is part of a strategic review of the BBC's services, announced on Tuesday. BBC Director General Mark Thompson confirmed details for the corporation's strategic review, much of which was leaked last week. He also confirmed that teen programmes such as Blast and BBC Switch should be closed, and that the BBC should lose half the number of its website pages by 2013. Scottish music producers Tigerstyle, who are made up of brothers Pops and Raj, expressed similar views as those of Sean. "I'm devastated. The Asian Network is a prime source for people to hear our music. They are the only station that champions our music. All the commercial stations in the UK do not play music from British Asian-born talent. British-born artists like us are going to find it very difficult to survive," Pops said. "We've been discussing whether it is even going to be possible to keep going as musicians. It's a credit to the Asian Network that it is the only station that discusses things that are from an angle that is relevant from a British-born Asian people," he added.