The Big British Castle

February 26, 2010 9:13 AM

BBC Radio 6 Music, home of amongst other things the Adam and Joe show, is facing the axe. Phil Jupitus on why this sucks. (Previously, previously, previously, previously)
posted by Artw (36 comments total)

NOOOOOOOO! Adam & Joe's BBC 6 show podcast is the best thing ever :(

Stephen!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:22 AM on February 26, 2010

This is bad news. 6 music is the only non-commercial station that covers rock/indie, etc. in depth. bad cuts, IMHO. Surely just getting rid of Jonathan Ross leaves enough budget for the whole of 6 (if not get rid of Chris ****** Evans, that should do it!).

Boo!
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 9:29 AM on February 26, 2010

The BBC rakes in £3.6 billion from licence fee payers each year.

BBC 6 Music's yearly budget is around £7 million.

A drop in the proverbial ocean, as they say.

And yet, here we are, with the execrable 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps' (an utterly hopeless and deeply unfunny BBC3 'sitcom') about to be commissioned for a ninth season. There are, my friends, no words.
posted by metaxa at 9:33 AM on February 26, 2010 [11 favorites]

And Torypocalypse / Murdochgeddon hasn't even properly started yet... The Beeb will be a hollow shell before they are done
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:12 AM on February 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Wretched, appalling news. I'm still hoping, so so desperately, that this isn't really going to come to pass.
posted by hydatius at 10:17 AM on February 26, 2010

the execrable 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps' (an utterly hopeless and deeply unfunny BBC3 'sitcom') about to be commissioned for a ninth season.

It truely is the End Times.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:31 AM on February 26, 2010

This is really annoying.

As fearfulsymmetry says, wait till the Tories get in. There'll be nothing left.
posted by ComfySofa at 10:55 AM on February 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

I tuned into 6Music for the first time in ages the other week. Steve Lamacq was on, and he started un-ironically playing a song by New Fast Automatic Daffodils in some kind of "oft-missed lost classic" slot.

When I heard the news of the station's passing today, strangely I wasn't too upset.
posted by tapeguy at 10:56 AM on February 26, 2010

After John Peel the Beeb have slowly been killing his legacy.
posted by Webbster at 11:03 AM on February 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

6 Music reminds me of what Radio 1 used to be like after 7pm in the early 1990s - a diverse mix of musical genres, interesting DJs who actually eat, sleep and breathe the music they are playing, and a loyal and involved listenership. No matter when I tune in I know I will find something interesting.

It is a great example of Lord Reith's original remit for the BBC - to inform, educate and entertain. For that reason I really hope it gets a stay of execution.
posted by greycap at 11:10 AM on February 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

Virgin Radio is offering to buy it, as they do sort of kind of the same thing... right.

"We would buy 6 Music from the BBC, both the brand and the network, and we’d run it more efficiently than they’ve been doing."

Yeah, I think I know what that entails. Hopes for there being any real reason to listen to the thing after they finished would not be high...
posted by Artw at 12:03 PM on February 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Link
posted by Artw at 12:07 PM on February 26, 2010

Just coming!
posted by run"monty at 12:25 PM on February 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

6 Music reminds me of what Radio 1 used to be like after 7pm in the early 1990s - a diverse mix of musical genres, interesting DJs who actually eat, sleep and breathe the music they are playing, and a loyal and involved listenership. No matter when I tune in I know I will find something interesting.

It is a great example of Lord Reith's original remit for the BBC - to inform, educate and entertain. For that reason I really hope it gets a stay of execution.

This. A thousand times this. I wish we had super-favourites, because I would super-favourite this so hard.

What I'm basically saying is I agree.
posted by RokkitNite at 1:24 PM on February 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Is 6 Music really on death row? - Good summary by Andrew Collins (of the Collins and Herrin podcast)
posted by Artw at 2:35 PM on February 26, 2010

Totally depressing. Though if they do close it then at least the Tories won't be able to sell it to their new chum Rupert Murdoch as part of their deal to wreck the BBC for his support in the forthcoming election.
posted by johnny novak at 2:40 PM on February 26, 2010

I follow a number of British bands on Twitter (I know, but save the hate) and the response to this can best be summarized as "noooooooo!".
posted by immlass at 2:42 PM on February 26, 2010

The BBC Asian Network is threatened too. DJ Kayper's show is great.
posted by lukemeister at 6:12 PM on February 26, 2010

Yeah, I think I know what that entails.

Just look at what Capital did to XFM.
posted by ninebelow at 1:22 AM on February 27, 2010

I am a normal person of typical intelligence, in my twenties. I read newspapers frequently, go to the cinema often, and browse a variety of websites.

I can count the things which I truly enjoy watching or listening to on the BBC on one hand. I don't even need to use the whole hand. Without 6Music and Mad Men, there will only be Charlie Brooker and In Our Time left.
posted by mattn at 2:27 AM on February 27, 2010

This is unconfirmed, though.

I find it kind of amusing that, in the public eye, the BBC can't seem do anything right.
posted by Jon-A-Thon at 3:30 AM on February 27, 2010

Strike warning over BBC plans 'to cut services'

Leaders of Bectu and the NUJ said they met a BBC director on Friday and were told the reports in the Times newspaper were "largely correct".

So maybe just not confirmed to the public.
posted by immlass at 7:29 AM on February 27, 2010

I do wonder if it's the old case of announce something 'we're going to put up taxes 20%!' and then when the hue and cry reaches a fever pitch they actually do something a lot less 'ok 2%' which would have been protested, but now seems acceptable.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:26 AM on February 27, 2010

"The BBC should not attempt to do everything. It must listen to legitimate concerns from commercial media players more carefully than it has in the past, and act sooner to meet them. It needs the confidence and clarity to stop as well as to start doing things."

FULL RETREAT!
posted by Artw at 1:20 PM on March 1, 2010

My favorite bit: "The proposed changes we are announcing tomorrow are not a piece of politics "

Yeah, it;s not going to be Lick Murdoch's Boots day or anything...
posted by Artw at 1:22 PM on March 1, 2010

You know what will placate Murdoch? Nothing will placate Murdoch - so it's not like this bout of cowardice and betrayal of ideals will actually have any effect.
posted by Artw at 1:41 PM on March 1, 2010

Love6music.com lots on what the long term plans/surrender for the BBC are...

BBC4: As well as the ban on US imports, the channel will face entertainment and comedy cuts and be told to concentrate on more high-end shows.

So I guess that's bye bye Charlie Brooker...

Oh and it looks like they are going to fuck up the only watchable middle of the road prime time show the've got by siding out Chiles and bringing in fucking Ginger Nut.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:05 PM on March 1, 2010

A BBC spending infographic. Just see if you can actually spot 6M in there.
posted by permafrost at 7:34 AM on March 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

TBH I'm suprised no one has gone after Who for being too popular.
posted by Artw at 7:41 AM on March 2, 2010

So 6Music costs the same as Jonathan Ross and Anne Robinson? Fuck's sake. I notice it is also £1m cheaper than the unwatched BBC Parliament channel. And a thirteenth of the cost of BBC3...
posted by ninebelow at 7:51 AM on March 2, 2010

Okay, so it's been confirmed now.

So...I guess we may as well get Rupert Murdoch on the BBC Trust...you know...to speed things up...
posted by Jon-A-Thon at 2:05 AM on March 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

BBC: What lies behind the strategy review.

Interesting chart at the bottom of this article with cost per user hour of the affected services compared to BBC 1 and Radio 2. If nothing else, it shows the angle of their defense against charges of whitening the network.
posted by immlass at 8:23 AM on March 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Annnnnnd I should have finished reading my news before I posted here: BBC Trust open to 6 Music 'rethink'.
posted by immlass at 8:29 AM on March 3, 2010

If you are a licence fee payer you should complete the online consultation on the Strategic Review.
posted by ninebelow at 8:44 AM on March 3, 2010

Newsnight: 'Paxman grills Thompson over closure of 6 Music' Actually it's not so much 'grills' as eviscerates.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:47 AM on March 4, 2010

Unleash the hounds!
posted by Artw at 6:35 AM on March 4, 2010