Following much speculation about the future of the doomed radio station BBC 6Music, the corporation's Head of Audio and Music, Tim Davie, has said that 6 will not be repackaged as BBC Radio 2 Extra (or Xtra, however you render it...), as some reports had proposed. Whether or not the campaign to save 6 Music thinks this a good or bad thing is not clear. (via The Guardian). Perhaps good.
Writing on his BBC Blog, entitled The Future of 6 Music, Davie clarified the situation:
"Firstly, let me make it clear that, while we have proposed rebranding Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra, there are no such plans for 6 Music. But I should also explain that the proposals made in the Strategy Review are the first part of a process. The BBC Trust are currently consulting the public on those proposals and nothing will happen until after the consultation is closed."
He added:
"In my previous blog - here - I outlined the rationale for the closure of 6 Music and said that we will reinvest any funds from the proposed closure of 6 Music in digital radio content. This commitment to digital radio remains and we are looking at a number of ways of doing this. I said we would look at protecting some 6 Music programming by redeploying it elsewhere and considering how we can also do justice to its legacy in areas like new music development. This commitment also remains. But simply rebranding 6 Music as Radio 2 Extra is not one of our plans."
Elsewhere in 6Music news this week, there is a call from upon high to save the condemned station. No, not from God, but from Gord. Yes, Gordon Brown who, as well as declaring a love for Lady GaGa, also said that he is backing the campaign to save the station. Whether the campaign will be backing him come May 6 is less certain, but he had to open his mouth, didn't he?