BBC goes to war with Virgin and Radio X over 6 Music spin-off

A new BBC 6 Music spin-off radio station, designed to appeal to Oasis-loving “Burnham dads”, could spell ruin for commercial rivals, industry figures have warned.

Launched on Wednesday, Indie Forever, a 24-hour stream available on BBC Sounds, dedicated to rock and pop classics from the 80s to 2010s, will feature artists ripped from the Prime Minister’s Spotify playlist including The Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, The Verve and Blossoms.

With 6 Music expanding to include more dance and electro sounds, the new station, launched by veteran DJ Steve Lamacq, is targeted at rock fans who want a diet of the indie anthems that soundtracked their youth.

Shorts

But commercial networks accused the BBC of setting up a copycat offering to steal listeners from stations already serving fans of guitar-based rock, such as Virgin Radio, Radio X, Kerrang! and Absolute Radio 90s.

BBC goes to war with Virgin and Radio X over 6 Music spin-off

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