Lily Allen: 'Closing BBC 6 Music Is Bad For New British Music'

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March 03, 2010 by Jason Gregory | Photo by WENN.com

Lily Allen: 'Closing BBC 6 Music Is Bad For New British Music'

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Lily Allen has said that closing digital radio station BBC 6 Music would be “bad news” for emerging British artists.

The singer, who found fame via MySpace, expressed sadness at the broadcasting corporation's plans to wind down the station to cut costs.

Writing in today's Guardian, Allen described the BBC as an “amazing institution” - but added that it was going through a “very dire phase at the moment”.

She also suggested that closing both 6 Music and the Asian Network was part of the BBC's desire to appease a possible future Conservative government.

“We're in the runup to a general election in which it's looking increasingly likely that David Cameron will be our prime minister, and I think that whatever decisions are being made now are being done so with a view to who will be in charge of the country this time next year,” Allen wrote.

She continued: “If you look at everything that's happened in the last year or so at the BBC – with Russell Brand, with Jonathan Ross, with expenses – you can't help but feel that they are scared of taking risks

“What is happening now reflects a huge, politically motivated reshuffle.”

Plans to close 6 Music, announced yesterday at a meeting of BBC staff, has led to a widespread public backlash.

Over 100,000 people have so far signed a petition to save it and musicians including David Bowie have called for the station to remain open.

Allen praised the campaigns and said she hoped they would make the BBC "think twice”.

She also said she wasn't “very hopeful” about plans to incorporate 6 Music into existing stations such as BBC Radio 1 and 2.

“Closing BBC 6 Music is bad news for unsigned acts and new British music,” she added.

What do you think of Allen's comments and the plans to shut BBC 6 Music? Leave your thoughts below.

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(4)

Allen is right. There's no way the BBC could possibly incorporate 6 Music into other channels. Fearne Cotton struggles to know who The Strokes are, so I'd be surprised if you could get her head round a band like Wild Beasts.
~ by Aaron 3/3/2010 Report
the report also claimed most 6music listeners could be accommodated by radio2, while also stating that radio 2 would be at least 50% chat during the daytime! does not compute! save 6 music!
~ by Tom 3/3/2010 Report
Lily Allen is bad for new British music.
~ by BritSwedeGuy 3/3/2010 Report
6music is the only reason i bought a digital radio! i never listern to anything else. there is so much bad, popular music out there, radio1 is just depressing! the 6music presenters really know and love alternative, creative music past and present.if 6music goes i will stop listerning to the radio altogether, but i will be gutted. its culture, the rest of the bbc is just boring drivel!
~ by lisa 3/3/2010 Report

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