Network Z - BBC 7 - BBC Radio 7 now becomes BBC Radio 4 Extra, with an 'E'
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Back in 2002, the BBC decided it needed to provide additional listening options for the digital radio listener. Five new services were proposed for the capacity the BBC had on DAB digital radio and digital satellite.
The sport section of Radio 4's long wave service became the longest named service, BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra. The Asian Network was promoted from a Midlands-only AM service.
The three other networks were codenamed "Network X", "Network Y" and "Network Z".
"Network X" became "1Xtra", "Network Y" launched as "6Music" and "Network Z" became "BBC7".
BBC Radio 1Xtra, as it now is, is still close to the original remit of "contemporary black music to a young audience and break new, non-chart UK talent".
BBC Radio 6 Music, has moved somewhat from the remit of "BBC archives of concerts and music interviews to explore music from the 1970s to the 1990s", and is now a very popular off-playlist music station.
BBC Radio 7 was intended to provide "spoken-word entertainment in a way which will encourage new listeners to speech radio".
In the next month, BBC Radio 7 will become, with a suitable 'correct' spelling, BBC Radio 4 Extra. There will be little change to the content of the station, aside from the dropping of the Cbeebies Radio service and the provision of some extended contemporary BBC Radio 4 programmes such as Now Show Extra and News Quiz Extra and Desert Island Discs Revisited.
7:48 PM
Very good Sci-fi drama on BBC R4 Extra this week from Tues 3rd May 18:30 by Ken Follet The Destrucion Factor, check it out on i-player if you missed it. He also wrote the excellent EARTHSEARCH (Series 1 & 2).
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Nedbod: You are confusing James Follett with Ken Follett.
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8:35 PM
QUITE RIGHT BRI I KNEW THIS LOOKED WRONG THE SECOND I TYPED IT. There is a famous Ken Follett though isn't there.
Good drama nevertheless. I must get my memory banks fixed. I do remember Earthsearch by JAMES FOLLETT first being broadcast on BBC R4 FM STEREO on Sundays at 12 noon many moons ago, however.
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8:46 PM
As we have discussed many times Brian your statement above that Radio 4 broadcasts in stereo at all times on all platforms is incorrect. The DAB BBC Radio 4 services drops into mono @ 80 kbps on occasions throughout the week and particularly on Fri nights when Any Questions & the Friday Play go out in stereo on FM but mono on DAB to allow sport to go out on 5 Live Sports Extra. Only when there is no sport is R4 DAB in stereo.
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10:19 AM
By the way it's THE DESTRUCTION FACTOR my spelling isn't up to much this week either !!
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9:12 PM
Nice to hear EARTHSEARCH back on the radio again by James Follett. Pity it's still in mono on DAB. Currently recording it onto CD from the BBC i-player so I get the ANGELS 1 & 2 coming out of separate speakers. I hope BBC Radio 4 Extra follows on with EARTHSEARCH II
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9:15 PM
PS : ANY QUESTIONS WAS IN "SURROUND SOUND" LAST FRIDAY !! AS I WAS IN THE AUDIENCE - AS IT WAS IN MACCLESFIELD TOWN CENTRE SO I WALKED THERE !!
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Nedbod: Yes, I saw that it was on again in iPlayer. I was going to record it and then I found that I already had the .aac files.
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8:12 PM
just found this site, dont know if this is relevant or if anyone else has a similar problem,but could someone explain the distortion or overmodulation of ridings fm dab station
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