Reports in the British press suggest that radio station BBC 6Music is set to close.
Founded as the digital era dawned, BBC 6Music has won a devoted army of fans. With a number of specialist shows the station has come to be regarded as an avatar of taste, with presenters drawn from the ranks of rock and pop.
However in recent months speculation has been rife over the future of the station. Fans accused bosses of ‘watering down’ BBC 6Music in order to gain more listeners, while some even believed the station could be pulled from the airwaves.
Now press reports in Britain suggest that BBC 6Music will now, in fact, be closed. The station is currently broadcasting as usual, but an investigation by The Times has found that its future is in doubt.
In a report published today (February 26th) the newspaper has found that BBC 6Music is likely to be closed as the BBC seeks to meet cuts in its budget. The Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson is likely to signal the end of BBC 6Music alongside a number of sisters stations.
The BBC’s Asian Network is also set to close, while there are serious question marks over the role of Gaelic and Welsh language stations. Furthermore, the BBC website is expected to shrink by almost half as the corporation struggles to deal with cuts in its funding and overspending on certain issues.
The response from fans and presenters has been almost immediate. In a Twitter posting BBC 6Music presenter Phill Jupitus claimed that the final decision over the station has yet to be taken.
“I met BBC bod tonight and he said the final decision is not for a couple of weeks…” he claimed.
Join a Facebook campaign to save BBC 6Music HERE.
