6-0-6
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| Genre | Phone-in |
|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Languages | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 5 Live previously BBC Radio 5 |
| Recording studio | Various locations |
| Air dates | since 1991 |
| Audio format | FM, Digital radio and Digital TV |
| Website | Official Website |
| Podcast | Official Podcast |
6-0-6 (pronounced six-oh-six) is a football phone-in, broadcast on BBC Radio Five Live throughout the football season; when the programme started, it typically went on air at 6:06pm on a matchday (when schedules allow). It covers topics relating to the current affairs of football in the United Kingdom. It currently airs on Saturdays and Sundays and is produced by independent production company Somethin' Else. As well as listeners phoning in, a selection of texts and e-mails to the studio are read out.
The programme was inspired by long-running BBC Local radio football phone-ins such as the BBC Radio Sheffield programme "Praise or Grumble".[1]
6-0-6's current theme tune is an arrangement of "1901" from Phoenix.
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[edit] Presenter history
Originally the programme was broadcast only once a week, on Saturdays after Sports Report. It gets its name from the (approximate) time the show starts on a Saturday evening — six minutes past six.[2]
Its original host was Danny Baker (1991–92, 1996–97, 2008–09). David Mellor (1992–2001) presented 6-0-6 for much of the 1990s and early on in the 2000s and was for a long time its regular Wednesday-evening presenter. Other previous hosts have involved Richard Littlejohn (1997–2002), Dominik Diamond, Adrian Chiles (2001–06), Jonathan Pearce (2002–03) and Tim Lovejoy (2007-09). Issy Clarke for many years in the 2000s read out emails and text messages before she moved to Baker's new Saturday morning show.
Regular presenters included DJ Spoony, who used to present Sundays with Gabriele Marcotti; and Alan Green, who has normally commentated on a game the same day (mostly Saturdays). Occasional presenters include Mark Lawrenson, Steve Claridge, Mark Bright, and Manish Bhasin. Danny Baker returned to 6-0-6 to present six Euro 2008 specials, and proved such a big hit with the listeners that he was invited back to present regularly on Tuesdays.[3]
Under Baker in the 1990s the show favoured bizarre and obscure but hilarious topics, avoiding the matches played and headline news in the football. There was also music in its first years. However, from Mellor onwards, the show became established as a more mainstream phone-in, mainly focusing on Premier League teams.
In the 2009-10 season the program was hosted by DJ Spoony and Gabriele Marcotti, Alan Green, presented saturday and he typically commentated on an evening match before presenting the Saturday show. Tim Lovejoy joined to present Wednesday and Danny Baker joined to present on Tuesday from 10-11pm. Occasional presenters for the 2009/10 season include Mark Lawrenson, Steve Claridge, Mark Chapman, Mark Bright, Perry Groves, Robbie Savage, Darren Fletcher and Soccer AM Presenter Max Rushden.
Spoony was popular with listeners as he had an 'infectious enthusiasm' for all things football which makes him extremely popular with listeners. He is an avid fan of Liverpool and also gained an exclusive interview with David Beckham in his LA home after the player signed for LA Galaxy in the MLS. Gabriele Marcotti is an established sports journalist who writes for Sports Illustrated in the US and The Times in the UK and more publications besides. He has appeared on BBC's Football Focus and Sky Sports News, and before coming to BBC 5 Live he worked with talkSPORT for six years. He is now freelance and works for 5 Live and talkSPORT like Ray Parlour and Matt Holland who frequently appear on both rival stations. Alan Green is a broadcaster and commentator who has been with the BBC since 1981. His outspoken views have occasionally got him in to hot water but he remains a hugely popular and emotive figure amongst fans of the game for his say-it-like-he-sees-it attitude and while he doesnt present 606 anymore he is popular commentator usually commentating on all 5 lives big matches.
2010-11 season was a big change for 606, the saturday show started again at 6:06pm on saturday afternoons after talksport took the rights to saturday evening premier league matches so this season was presented by Mark Chapman and Robbie Savage joined as an official co-host, this debut season saw Savage win a sony radio award for rising star in radio. When Chapman was unavailable the program was usually hosted by Darren Fletcher the 5 live commentator and Mike Parry formally of Talksport hosted with Savage a few times. Sunday's show was hosted by Alan Green by himself. The Tuesday and Wednesday shows were dropped as well only appearing on international nights and instead 5 Live Sport was extended to 10:30pm.
[edit] Programme features
Season 2009/10 saw the launch of the 606 Soapbox outside grounds. Fans can drop into the Soapbox and speak live to presenters Spoony and Gabriele Marcotti in the 5 Live studios. Every three weeks the Soapbox visits a league football ground in various locations around the country.
Sunday's 606 also has a weekly celebrity fan, reporting on the game they have been to that day. Celebrity fans so far have included Ray Winstone (West Ham), Alan Davies (Arsenal), Beverly Knight (Wolves), Norman Jay (Spurs), Trevor Nelson (Chelsea), Tony Jeffries (Sunderland) and James and Oliver Phelps aka the Weasley twins from the Harry Potter films (Birmingham and Aston Villa).
Now the sunday show has a feature where 5 callers have 10 seconds to state their name, where they are from and their point
[edit] 6-0-6 online forum
In addition to the phone-in programme, there was also an online version of 6-0-6 in the form of an Internet message board, although in June 2006 the site was forced to temporarily close due to the large amount of web traffic and forum threads. Football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, snooker, motorsport and several other sports had message boards embedded into 606.
On 24 January 2011, It was announced the 6-0-6 forum would close at the end of the 2010-11 football season. [4] The forum finally closed on 31 May 2011. [5]
606 also has an active Facebook group, for fans to chat, and view behind the scenes pictures of the show. Listeners can follow 606 @bbc606 on Twitter.
[edit] Spin-offs
Other sports occasionally get the 6-0-6 treatment. These include Tennis, where the show became 6 Love 6 presented by John McEnroe, Cricket's 6-Duck-6 presented by former England captain Michael Vaughan and Formula 1, where Murray Walker presents. Since the 606 website disabled the ability to add comments and is no longer maintained, there have been a number of websites set up to continue providing this service including Sport 606, New 606 Sport Forum and 606v2.
[edit] References
- ^ "The original football phone-in" BBC South Yorkshire, 26 October 2007, retrieved: 15 August 2009
- ^ Plunkett, John; "Tim Lovejoy to host 606 phone-in on Five Live" Guardian.co.uk, 26 July 2007, retrieved: 15 August 2009
- ^ Luft, Oliver; "Danny Baker returns to Radio 5 Live weekly phone-in 606 — yet again" Guardian.co.uk, 31 July 2008, retrieved: 15 August 2009
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2011/01/changes_to_bbc_sport_online.html
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2011/05/the_closure_of_606.html
[edit] External links
- 606 Homepage BBC Sport
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