The Joy of 6

Digital station saved from closure after protests

After the BBC director general Mark 'Thommo' Thompson announced that alternative radio station 6 Music would be axed late last year, its small but loyal fanbase fought back, and they seem to have won the battle against its closure.

The incredible internet presence held by the 'Save 6 Music' campaign saw numerous websites spring up, a raft of newspaper articles on the matter get published online and in print, and seemingly every other Twitter user deciding to show their support by adorning their display picture with a 'Save 6' twibbon. A great many celebrities added their voice to the protest, too, including the likes of David Bowie, who said that 6 was 'keeping alive the spirit of John Peel'.

With all of the media attention it garnered, it seemed inevitable that more people would listen to the station. Since the first announcement that 6 would be chopped, its listenership has doubled. Presumably, this - coupled with the wedge of complaints it recieved - is what has prompted the BBC Trust to veto Thompson's decision and keep the station open.

Sadly, however, it seems as though the BBC Asian Network will still face the chop, with the Trust maintaining that it will "consider a formal proposal for the closure of the Asian Network, although this must include a proposition for meeting the needs of the station's audience in different ways". Quite how this will be achieved remains to be seen.