Music industry slams 6 Music axe plans

The UK music industry has criticised the BBC's reported plans to shut digital station 6 Music by claiming that the move will fail new British musicians.

In a letter to BBC director general Mark Thompson, the industry representatives said that they were "surprised and alarmed" to read a report last Friday claiming that the corporation's strategy review will signal an end to 6 Music and fellow digital station Asian Network.

The approach would also see the closure of BBC Switch and Blast!, along with a 25% reduction in staff working on the BBC website as part of efforts to scale back the corporation's reach.

In response, the industry representatives claimed that 6 Music is a crucial platform for showcasing the less-well-known bands unable to gain airplay on Radio 1 or major commercial stations, reports The Times.

"6 Music has established itself as a vital platform providing exposure to a wide range of emerging British music talent," British Phonographic Industry chief executive Geoff Taylor told Thompson in the letter.

"There is no other radio station that is remotely comparable in scale or depth for showcasing new music."

Alison Wenham, chief executive of independent record label trade body AIM, added that 6 Music has helped various new artists to achieve greater success.

"As a recent example, exposure for Florence and The Machine on 6 Music was the beginning of their UK success, culminating in them winning the Best Album award at the Brit Awards," she said.

"There are many examples of successful British artists whose early work was championed by 6 Music, who would not otherwise have attracted wider attention. It is therefore vital to the artistic and cultural diversity of this country that the role of 6 Music as a taste-maker for the airwaves is preserved."

Following last week's report, there has been a growing clamour of voices calling for 6 Music to be saved, including David Bowie and the Manic Street Preachers.

Thompson apparently believes that the station, which has a budget of around £6 million and a weekly reach of 695,000 listeners, does not deliver value for money and should be shut to allow space for commercial rivals to prosper.

However, Taylor has claimed that it is part of the BBC's remit to introduce the public to new music, while the commercial market may not want to take up that role.

"We understand that the BBC has to cut costs and wants to leave space for the commercial market, but withdrawing valued public service programming which the market won't provide is no way to achieve that," he said.

"The BBC has an essential role to play in introducing the public to new music. It has let down music fans and the music sector by failing to replace Top Of The Pops. Closing 6 Music would undermine the diversity and wealth of British musical culture."

Last Friday, Absolute Radio emerged as a possible candidate to step in and save 6 Music from closure should the BBC forge ahead with its plans.