What Asian Star Radio does

Asian Star Radio is a UK-based community radio broadcasting company, legally Asian Star Community Radio Limited, founded in 2007 and headquartered at The Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough, Berkshire. The station operates a 24-hour linear radio service dedicated to Asian music, with Bollywood and Bhangra as flagship genres, and produces specialist programming including live GP consultations, legal advice shows, devotional content, and a weekly Top 40 Chart Show. It reaches listeners across four broadcast modalities: terrestrial FM at 101.6FM covering the Slough/Windsor/Maidenhead/Heathrow corridor; DAB+ digital radio across London, Manchester and Birmingham; a free mobile application on iOS and Android; and voice-integrated streaming via Alexa, Google Home, TuneIn and Radioplayer. The station maintains a content library of 2,566 podcast/on-demand episodes and reports over 400,000 listener hours per week. Audience targeting centres on adults aged 35–55 with disposable income, and the listener base extends beyond the Asian community.

The company monetises primarily through radio advertising — direct spot commercials (with in-house production including script writing, voiceover, sound effects and music), sponsorship packages (traffic/travel, weather, sport, drivetime, breakfast slots subject to a 13-week minimum booking), and outside broadcast services for events, television and radio productions. Pricing is quote-based and tailored per campaign, with no published rate card. Named advertiser logos span enterprise (Pinewood Studios, Mercedes), government (NHS, Slough Borough Council), and undisclosed SMB volume. The business is privately held by the Siddique family (Ray and Sbba Siddique as co-owners) with Ray C serving as Managing Director, and has no disclosed institutional investors or external funding. A sister company, Bright Star Events Ltd, extends the brand into live event production (concerts, shows, festivals). Distribution, marketing and community engagement are supported by an active outside-broadcast roadshow programme and social media presence (Instagram and Facebook with over 5,196 followers).

The technology stack is conventional broadcast infrastructure — FM transmitter, DAB+ multiplex carriage, mobile apps, voice assistant skills, and an online streaming player via Radioplayer — with no disclosed proprietary AI, data, or software platform components. Operational recognition includes triple award-winner status (Station of the Year, Regional Station of the Year, Local Station of the Year) including three consecutive Regional Radio Station of the Year wins at the Asian Media Awards in 2018 and 2018/19. The station is actively broadcasting with current programming schedules and ongoing podcast publication, indicating an operating, established media business rather than a venture-stage company.

Name

Asian Star Radio

Legal name

Asian Star Community Radio Limited

Website

https://asianstarradio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asian Star Radio is a UK community radio station broadcasting Asian music (Bollywood and Bhangra) on FM (Slough), DAB+ (London, Manchester, Birmingham), mobile apps, and voice platforms, serving 400,000+ weekly listener hours and monetising through advertising, sponsorships, and outside broadcast services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Radio Networks (National/Regional) (MPABABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Radio advertising services
• Asian music programming
• Digital audio broadcasting
• Outside broadcast services

Headquarters

HQ city

Slough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Radio advertising spots broadcast during programming, reaching listeners via car radio, home tuners, workplace audio, and online streaming worldwide. The station creates radio commercials with professional script writers, voiceover talent, sound effects, and background music production included.
2. Sponsorship: Radio sponsorships utilizing low entry cost per credit, including traffic and travel, weather, sport, drivetime and breakfast sponsorships. Production of sponsorship tags included in monthly cost with 13-week minimum booking period.
3. Outside Broadcast Services: OB services for events broadcast from locations away from the studio, serving both television and radio programs. Station conducts roadshows and outside broadcasts at various venues and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Asian Star Radio operates a 24-hour multi-platform radio broadcasting service focused on Asian music (Bollywood and Bhangra genres), delivered via FM (101.6FM in Slough/Windsor/Maidenhead/Heathrow), DAB+ digital radio (London, Manchester, Birmingham), mobile app, Alexa and Google Home smart speakers, and online streaming worldwide. Revenue is generated through B2B radio advertising spots, sponsorships (traffic, weather, sport, drivetime, breakfast), and outside broadcast services for events.

Product overview

Asian Star Radio operates as a multi-platform radio broadcasting company offering a unified audio entertainment service. The core offering consists of 24-hour radio broadcasting across FM (101.6FM), DAB+ (London, Manchester, Birmingham), and online streaming, supplemented by the Asian Star Radio Mobile App for on-the-go listening. The product portfolio includes the Listen Again/Podcasts service (with 2566 episodes), the Asian Star Chart Show (Top 40 weekly countdown), radio advertising services with production capabilities, and outside broadcast services. The station primarily focuses on Asian music content including Bollywood and Bhangra genres. Events services are provided through sister company Bright Star Events Ltd. The station reaches over 400,000 listener hours per week with a target audience of 35-55 year olds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bright Star Events Ltd: Sister company for event organizing experience, creating and producing professionally delivered events from concerts to shows and festivals

Products and services

• Asian Star Radio Broadcasting (FM/DAB+/Online) 24-hour radio broadcasting service dedicated to Asian music (Bollywood, Bhangra), distributed across FM, DAB+, online streaming, and mobile platforms for listeners in the UK and worldwide.
• Asian Star Radio Mobile App Free mobile application available on iOS and Android enabling listeners to access live radio streaming, podcasts, and on-demand content from Asian Star Radio globally.
• Listen Again / Podcasts On-demand podcast service with 2,566 archived episodes of past radio programmes featuring station presenters, offering catch-up listening with categorized content including Featured, Motivational, and Stories.
• Radio Advertising Services B2B radio advertising solutions including direct airtime spots, program sponsorships (traffic, travel, weather, sports, drivetime, breakfast), and bundled commercial production with script writing, voiceovers, sound effects, and background music for businesses targeting the 35-55 demographic with disposable income.
• Outside Broadcast (OB) Services Remote event broadcasting service delivering live coverage from venues and locations outside the studio for concerts, shows, festivals, roadshows, and corporate events for radio and television programs.
• Asian Star Chart Show Weekly Top 40 music chart countdown featuring trending Asian songs, broadcast every Saturday at 7pm, showcasing the latest Bollywood, Bhangra, and Urban Desi tracks.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bright Star Events LtdcoreOthersSister company for event organizing experience. Creates and produces professionally delivered events including concerts, shows, and festivals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Desi Radio: UK online and DAB Asian music station streaming Bollywood, Bhangra and desi content to a global South Asian audience. Comparable specialist Asian-format radio operator competing for similar listener share.
• Radio XL: UK Asian community radio station serving the Midlands with Bollywood and Asian music programming. Comparable regional Asian radio operator with similar content mix and advertiser base.
• Sunrise Radio: UK commercial radio station broadcasting Bollywood, Bhangra and Asian music content to the British-Asian community. Directly comparable to Asian Star Radio in target audience, content format, language mix, and reliance on local/regional ad revenue.
• Lyca Radio: London-based commercial radio station focused on Asian music, entertainment and community content for UK Asian listeners. Closely mirrors Asian Star Radio's format, target demographic, and advertising-led revenue model.
• Sabras Radio: Leicester-based Asian community radio station broadcasting Bollywood, Bhangra and Gujarati programming. Comparable as a UK regional Asian-format commercial station with multi-platform distribution and community engagement.
• Panjab Radio: London-based Punjabi-language community radio station broadcasting music, news and cultural programming to the UK Punjabi/South Asian community. Directly comparable niche ethnic radio operator with similar distribution model.

Emerging players

• Colourful Radio: London-based digital radio station targeting Black, Asian and minority ethnic audiences with music and talk content. Comparable as a multi-ethnic UK niche broadcaster pursuing a similar community-driven ad-supported model.

Others

• Heat Radio: Bauer Media-owned UK commercial radio station with similar regional DAB/FM distribution and advertising-funded model. Useful adjacent benchmark for commercial radio unit economics, though its format is mainstream rather than Asian-specialist.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Asian Network: BBC's national digital radio station dedicated to British Asian listeners, offering music, news and entertainment across the UK. Comparable as a dominant incumbent in the same audience segment with broader geographic reach and public-service funding.

Regional players

• Fun Asia Radio: UK regional radio operator focused on Asian music and entertainment, broadcasting in a defined UK region with multi-platform distribution. Comparable regional Asian radio peer competing in adjacent broadcast markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asianstarradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asian-star-radio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asian Star Radio