BBC 6 Music May Be Granted Reprieve From Closing

BBC radio station 6 Music may be granted a stay of execution, according to a report in the Times newspaper. As previously reported on Spinner, the digital station had been earmarked for closure by BBC bosses after a strategy review called for a wide-ranging cull of the Corporation's output in an attempt to introduce budget cutbacks. The plan was also seen in some quarters as an attempt to placate critical commercial media owners who claim that the annual licence fee paid by the British public gives the broadcaster an unfair advantage.

However, the outcry, protests and launch of a Facebook group to prevent the station's demise has actually doubled 6 Music's listenership figures from 640,000 to more than 1 million. That's an impressive audience hike and one that's been achieved without a dent to the purse of the BBC's marketing department.

Sir Michael Lyons -- the chairman of the BBC Trust that decides whether to close 6 Music or not -- will soon publish the results of his four-month consultation on the strategy. According to the Times, the Trust has been "overwhelmed" by the public outcry of the proposed closure and it's expected that his recommendations while include "further research" into 6 Music.

One of the station's broadcasters -- who asked not be named -- told the newspaper that optimism within the station was growing. He said, "There is a feeling that they will not just kill us straight off."