Sunrise Radio, the number one Asian radio station in London, celebrated its 25th anniversary in the lavish Terrace Pavilion at the prestigious House of Commons on Tuesday 18th November, overlooking the River Thames. The event marked a quarter century of Sunrise Radio’s influence and impact on the Asian community in Britain, and also provided a platform to launch The Sunrise Training Academy, a free training scheme for those wanting to pursue a career in radio.
Hosted by Priti Patel MP and Virendra Sharma MP, the celebration was attended by dignitaries, business leaders and celebrities like Keith Vaz MP, Lord Popat, Stephen Hammond MP, Vikas Magoon, CEO Veetee, Kuljinder Bahia of Southall Travel, Lebara Chairman Ratheesh Yoganathan and Jay Sean, with live entertainment from Navin Kundra and H Dhami.
Tony Lit, Managing Director Sunrise Radio said: “It gives me immense pride to be celebrating 25 years of broadcasting history and to receive the support of so many friends we’ve made along those years.
“When Sunrise Radio launched in 1989, it was the UK’s first Asian broadcast media outlet and revolutionised the industry, providing jobs, generating a platform for Asian businesses to advertise and it created a domino effect of other media outlets to follow suit. However, I think I’m most proud of the profound impact Sunrise Radio has had on the progress of Asian community, both financially and as a society, and we are dedicated to keep on with being progressive, through collaborations with universities like UCL and Imperial College, The Sunrise Training Academy and so much more.”
Sunrise Radio burst onto the airwaves in 1989, making history as the first radio station specifically for the Asian market. The ground-breaking station was the world’s first 24-hour commercial Asian radio station and today broadcasts across London on 963/972AM, on DAB and online.
Prime Minister David Cameron personally congratulated Sunrise Radio on its influence on the British Asian community. “Let me congratulate Sunrise on a fantastic 25 years of broadcasting.
“This station was a real pioneer of its time. The very first independent radio station to cater specifically for Britain’s Asian community. And I know the station’s played a really important role in helping British Asians to get on with their lives here, whilst maintaining a real connection to their roots, their tradition and their heritage. So congratulations Sunrise and best of luck for the next 25 years.”
