BBC 6 Music may be axed?

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

Has it been saved from the axe?

Not saved, but amazing Rajar results.

The Guardian wrote:

The BBC's digital radio station 6 Music, which is controversially due to be closed at the end of next year, has seen an almost 50% rise in its audience to a record 1 million listeners.

The surge in popularity coincided with an unprecedented campaign to save the digital station, drawing support from politicians, trade unions and celebrities. A Facebook group to save the station had nearly 180,000 members last night.

6 Music had an average weekly reach of 1.02 million listeners in the first three months of this year, up from 695,000 in the final three months of last year, according to official Rajar figures published today.

The station is due to be axed, along with its BBC digital sister station the Asian Network, as part of a strategy review announced by the corporation in March. BBC director general Mark Thompson said 6 Music was too expensive "given its relatively small audience".

Campaigners will be hoping the latest audience figures will help persuade the BBC Trust, currently overseeing a public consultation on the proposed closures, to force Thompson to reverse his decision. Earlier this week 6 Music won two coveted Sony radio awards, the industry's equivalent of the Oscars.

BBC presenter Richard Bacon, who hosts shows on Radio 5 Live and 6 Music, said the threat of closure had encouraged people to try the station. "A BBC Trust review said that not enough people had heard of 6Music. The decision to close the station meant that everybody heard about it. And guess what - they love it."

Things are looking up!

Fingers crossed, it HAS to be saved.....I'd shave my eyebrows off to save the station !!

I keep day dreaming about a 6 Music festival, raise awareness/raise money.
Imagine all the bands you could have, Guy with Elbow, Jarvis with errm Jarvis, then you could also promote new music from Marc Riley's shows. I think about it way too much

Now THAT's a brilliant idea!

Top find Ticky, haven't seen the video before.

Here's one hot from the ILF's edit suite to tempt people out for Saturday:

Have you noticed this?
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05c5d/2d45d75f/58e1d63a/4674eecb/502815868/VEsH/

We made the journey to That London on Saturday for the demo, which had a very healthy turnout. There's lots of photos about, with mine here.

.

Plus, a bonus that Shabba's finally slinging his hook in timely fashion. It's not Dec 25th, is it?

Oh us too, Ed was hysterical. Really great day!
The gig after was great fun. SIX AND HUGS AND ROCK AND ROLL!

George Lamb has announced he is leaving the station next month.

Is OFFICIALLY saved !!!

Listening figures gone up from 600k - 1 million per week.

Fantastic and deserved news

Excellent news! And all official, like:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10507286.stm

That really is GREAT news!

So so happy!!!!
Apparently in the rumour mill there is another gig planned for 6 music, on October 2nd, with big names!

MrsW just texted me with the excellent news. Reading the story, it would appear that the BBC Trust has also taken note of what people have been saying about the real underlying problems at the BBC.

People power works!

Yay!

LongLegs wrote:

So so happy!!!!
Apparently in the rumour mill there is another gig planned for 6 music, on October 2nd, with big names!

Interesting, LL. What have you heard? Any further details/rumours would be greatly appreciated. This could mean another visit to that London - twice in a year! We're reet cosmopolitan, we are.

This really is wonderful news and warms this auld cynics heart!
Hooray for people power!

I thought this article was very interesting:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jul/19/6music-ukmusic

Hadn't been around to post my reaction to the saving of 6 Music, so......YAY!! And yay to everyone who rallied to save it, as well! Well done, music lovers everywhere!

Great to see you're back Chrissie!!

ticky wrote:

Great to see you're back Chrissie!!

Thanks Ticky! There's never enough time for me to web-surf too much in the summer, but I always love getting back here when things quiet down again!