BBC 6 Music saved from closure
The BBC Trust has rejected the BBC’s plans to close the digital radio station 6 Music, as a “convincing case” has not been made for the station to be shut down.
In his initial response to the BBC strategy review, BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons has said that the case for the closure of 6 Music had not been made.
The BBC proposed the station’s demise under a strategy rethink, sparking protests from politicians and stars from the worlds of music and broadcasting.
The Trust has also said the Asian Network – the other station the BBC intended to turn off – was “performing poorly” and that there was a “case for closure”.
The Trust published its initial conclusions to the strategy review alongside the BBC’s Annual Report. The Trust says: “As things stand, the case has not been made for the closure of 6 Music.
“The Executive should draw up an overarching strategy for digital radio. If the director general wanted to propose a different shape for the BBC’s music radio stations as part of a new strategy, the trust would consider it.”
The Trust adds that the reach of the audience for 6 Music was 600,000 at the time of the review, and that it had risen to 1 million listeners a week.
According to the Trust the “significant show of public support” there had been since the closure plan was announced.
This story first appeared on pitch
