Today the director of the BBC Mark Thompson has confirmed the proposed cuts in BBC services that have been rumoured for some time. The main cuts would be axing two of the BBC digital radio channels, Radio 6 music and the Asian network and half the web pages on BBC online. Included in the online cuts are the teen services Switch and Blast.
Reasons for the cuts are to focus funding on high quality programming and to answer criticism that the BBC has become too big, and that it has a guaranteed income at a time when commercial networks have seen drastic cuts in their income due to the recession and competition from the internet. Full story on:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8544150.stm
Mr. Thompson pledged that in the future 90p of every licence fee £1 will be spent on programming and that the corporation would spend 25% less on BBC online.
Generally the BBC sets the standards for TV and radio broadcasting and some will see these cuts as a good thing and that more money, £600 million, will be put into programme making. Others will be very disappointed and angry that some of the diversity of the BBC services will be lost and especially the specialist areas that are provided by the Asian network and BBC 6 Music. Loss of two sections of the BBC website specifically for young people will also be controversial. Blast encourages young people to be creative and offers a platform to learn and share arts and performances http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/about Switch offers Music, a selection of videos and advice for teenagers http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch
Comedian and DJ Phill Jupitus was quoted as saying “the potential axing of 6 Music is an act of cultural vandalism". Also the broadcasting workers' union Bectu said up to 600 jobs could go and have warned that industrial action could take place.
There will be a lots of discussion across whole sections of the media and public before these cuts actually take place so what do you think?
Let us know your views on these cuts:
Do you listen to BBC 6 Music and/or the Asian network and how do you rate them?
Do you use Blast and Switch on the BBC website and how helpful and useful do you find them?Is the BBC too big and does it have an unfair advantage?
Should the BBC concentrate more of its money on quality programming?
tam@funkydragon.org