MUMBAI: American rock singer-songwriter, musician, and actor James Newell Osterberg, popularly known as Iggy Pop will be returning to BBC Radio 6 for good. After a couple of stints as a stand-in presenter at the station, Iggy will now be seen hosting a weekly show on Friday night between 7 to 9 p.m.
Iggy’s permanent slot at the station ushers in some changes for BBC Radio 6. Tom Ravenscroft’s Friday night show will be moved to the 9 pm - midnight slot, and 6 Mix’s weekly show featuring range of resident and guest DJs playing a two-hour set will soon be discontinued.
“It’s great to have the creative freedom to explore music even more deeply in my new regular slot on 6 Music,” said Tom Ravenscroft.
Talking about his permanent show with BBC Radio 6, the 67 year old musician commented, “Having sat in for Jarvis Cocker last year on BBC Radio 6 Music, I found myself realising how good it was for me. I hope it was good for somebody else too. So I’m gonna do it again this year, on early Friday evenings; what we call in the USA the ‘happy hour’.
He added that he would try and play music that would be “new and stimulating mixed with very old classics”, calling himself an “atmospheric bartender”.
Paul Rodgers, Head of Programmes for 6 Music, said, "It’s wonderful to be able to welcome back Iggy Pop to 6 Music. Iggy did great work on Sunday afternoons, fast becoming a new favourite for the 6 Music audience and I’m confident listeners will be every bit as appreciative of his new Friday evening slot. I’ve seen some of the music he’s planning to play and it is really exciting.”
Rodgers added that the station felt it was the right time to bring in changes to the Friday night schedule. However, he confirmed that music featured on the show would be showcased somewhere else on 6 Music.
Pop played emphasis on how changes and innovations in the music industry made it almost impossible for artists to depend on music alone for their income in the John Peel lecture titled ‘Free Music in a Capitalist’ in 2014.