Britain's Asian radio networks have come a long way. Once they provided a service for new arrivals to the nation in their own language. Now they offer music and debate that reaches out to a wide audience; and their array of strong, glamourous, high-profile women presenters is helping Britain's Indian women to assert their identity.
One of the most prominent voices is that of Nikki Bedi, who fronts "Nikki Bedi on the BBC Asian Network", an entertainment, arts and culture programme which deals, she says, with "a real mix", ranging from London's West End shows to issues-based drama. Born in Aylesbury, southern England, to an English mother and Indian father, the blonde, blue-eyed Bedi likes to describe herself as "Indo-Anglian".

“I'm closer to India. I take my English roots for granted. My Indian roots are more important. They're something I have to nurture... I really have the best of both worlds and I honour both my sets of roots and I love that." Bedi has spent around 15 years in Mumbai although she had to leave India after her talk show, 'Nikki Tonight', on Star TV caused a furore because a guest made a derogatory remark about Mahatma Gandhi. She returned to Britain in 2000 and has worked for around three years on the BBC Asian Network, one of Britain's leading Asian radio stations.

Bedi embraces it as a platform for helping other women become as emancipated as she is. She is not afraid to be provocative, but within certain parameters. "When you have the ability to wield the megaphone like that, you have a huge responsibility to set an example and to lead as people are looking up to you," she says. "It has to be combined with sensitivity."

Alluding to some of the challenges for Asian women growing up in Britain, she says, "There's a duality." In addition, there is the challenge of moving on without rejecting cultural heritage. "I'm just a girl who was born in Birmingham. You live across two cultures and that's life. It's as normal as putting on a pair of shoes," says high-profile Indian women presenter, Sonia Deol. Deol presented her first radio show at the age of 14 for charity. She now hosts the BBC Asian Network's flagship breakfast show, 'Sonia Deol on the BBC Asian Network', which has tackled issues such as arranged marriage and self-harming, and is far removed from the output of the early Asian radio stations.

The evolution of BBC itself reflects the rising confidence of the target audience, but Bedi hopes for a time when separate Asian stations will no longer be needed as affirmations of identity.

Women’s Feature Service