6 Music to mark tenth anniversary with special sessions and live events
Celebrations include a Southbank Centre event and Lauren Laverne Maida Vale sessions with Orbital and Spiritualized
Digital radio station BBC 6 Music will celebrate ten years on air next month with a season of commemorative programming.
Kicking off on the anniversary itself, Sunday 11 March, 6 Music’s tenth birthday celebrations will see the broadcast of a wide range of material, from dedicated content and special guests to exclusive Maida Vale sessions and a celebratory BBC Radio 6 Music at Southbank Centre event.
In a statement Bob Shennan, Controller, BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music, said: “This has been an incredible first decade for Radio 6 Music. In addition to its recent record listening figures, it has proved itself as a unique and much-loved service and a real showcase for the music that encapsulates the alternative spirit. I am proud that it has played such a key role in encouraging the take-up of digital radio across the nation.”
10 o’Clock Live presenter Lauren Laverne is overseeing the celebratory Maida Vale sessions, which will feature seminal groups like Spiritualized and Orbital and will be available to watch on 6 Music’s website as they’re broadcast live.
She said: “I love being part of the Radio 6 Music family and its success - it’s special radio! We’ll be featuring some of the station’s best music and artists during the anniversary and I’m especially looking forward to Maida Vale, where I’ll be bringing listeners some amazing live sessions.”
Launched to acclaim in 2002, 6 Music faced the axe in 2010 as part of a BBC cost-cutting initiative. However, campaigner Jon Morter rallied the public and managed to stage a series of protests that saved the station from closure.
Full details of the station’s anniversary plans can be found on the 6 Music website.
