Jeremy

Yes I know there are more important things going on in the word than the closure of a digital only radio station that caters for a niche audience but I don't care it's my radio station. This is footage from the BBC Director General's appearance on Newsnight where he was savaged by Jeremy Paxman, who I have to say has balls of steel to make his boss look like a twat on national television. This footage has been cut together with footage from the Thick of it by some clever bastard.



This on I love as Adam Buxton (of Adam and Joe fame) offers the director General out for a fight on Channel 4 news.

Conspiracy

Call me cynical but as the BBC 6 music/Asian Network radio station closures have panned out this week I have a nagging feeling that I am being used. The leaking of the news that 6 music was to close on Friday  was the kick start to a massive campaign by a very vocal 6 music listening community. There are around 600,000 listeners per week to the digital station that has finally given a modern music appreciating audience a medium that they hold dear and will defend. You only have to see how much of a stink was kicked up when someone decided that Georg Lamb would be a good idea on the station. There is also a fair amount of presenters/guest presenters and bands that are being very criticising of the BBC for axing 6 music.

Now I'm not one for conspiracy theories and I'm not going to go all David Icke on you but hear me out. I'm Mark Thompson and I need to trim some of my output because of a reactionary right wing press witch hunt to destroy the socialist nightmare that is the BBC and a Tory Government is just around the corner. I want to close a radio station that serves a minority audience but it will be a little bit tricky to pull off without compromising the public broadcasting remit that the BBC has to answer to. What can I do? I'll also announce the closure of another minority audience radio station one that has a similar number of listeners. Only this station has quite a passionate following and is used mainly by people of a certain age who would exploit all social networking tools and media to demand that their station remain open. There will be a massive backlash across all the news outlets and the BBC trust will have no option other than to reverse the decision. 6 Music will stay open and may even gain some more listeners who will tune in to hear what the fuss is about. In the mean time my original target will close and Asian network will be no more.

Just a prediction. Hope I'm wrong and they both manage to stay open. I don't listen to Asian Network but I have no doubt that the people who do love it as much as we love 6 music. The BBC is meant to cater for minority audiences in a way that commercial television and radio doesn't. If that means people who listen to bhangra or a John Peel Beta Band session from 1998 we aren't going to find it on radio 1/2 or any of the commercial station sin between 'go compare' and 'we buy any car' adverts. Thats why we pay the TV licence.

In the oft misquoted words of Voltaire "I don't agree with that Pap your watching on BBC3 but I'll defend to the death your right to watch it"

We own the BBC.

On my radio

I have always been a defender of the BBC. I admit that I do not watch or listen ot a lot of its output, especially that aimed at the teh majority market, soap operas, dancing programmes, etc. I do enjoy the fringe output that the BBC produces the latest gem is that of Charlie Brookers Newswipe programme which I don't feel could have been made anywhere else but the BBC. Stewart Lees comedy Vehicle last year was my favourite programme. I don't really find the appeal of anything that is broadcast on BBC 3 but hey ho each to their own. Apparently not though as rumours are abound today that the radio stations 6 music and Asian Network are to be axed. I don't listen to Asian Network so I can't comment but the axing of 6 music using the argument that the commercial sector should provide this kind of output is just outrageous. Yes it wen through a rough patch when George Lamb was on in the morning but those dark days are over and the station is a pleasure to listen to the majority of the time and provides a service that is not available anywhere else on that medium. There is no national radio station for serious music fans that wish to escape the dross that is current popular music. Except 6music. It will be a disgrace if this is axed. They wouldn't dream of axing radio 3 and if Radio 3 was a digital only station it would have similar listening figures. SAVE 6 MUSIC

Punka

It hasn't gone unnoticed at the House of blue lights that George Lamb is now off 6 music in the daytime and has been replaced with the lovely Lauren Laverne. The work radio has been re-tuned and has been a pleasure this week. No bells, whistles, air horns or moronic 'banter' just some good tunes and good interviews. Long live Laverne.

Manchester Girl

Vic Mcglynn (ex 6music presenter) is fronting a podcast filled with new music from Manchester entitled - live from Manchester. Its free and well worth a download, it's good to hear her dulcet tones back presenting music. I think she's been off galavanting around the world or something like that.

Radio Radio

I reactivated my Facebook account because I wanted to go on the Get George Lamb off 6 music group. I am trying not to get sucked into the whole FB thing; I don’t really see the point of it. Too many time sucking pointless questionnaires and apps.

The George Lamb group is the only place to go now that the new 6 music controller has suspended the 6music feedback message board that we all used. The reason given by the man is because the board is a - "highly volatile forum and tensions often run particularly high. This is especially so around the George Lamb thread, moderation decisions and discussions relating to BBC staff". That’s good management for you, take the criticism on board and then take away the opportunity to criticise. Why not just get rid of the useless, unfunny cunt and everyone will be happy. Can’t be seen to bow to public pressure thought from the music loving community. They will bow to the Daily Mail brigade though, bend right over while middle Britain shoves it up em.

Sign the petition if you haven't already.

Stronger than Jesus

The new A camp single is lovely, I was a big fan of the first album and much prefer the loungey laid back feel of A camp to the frankly quite dull cardigans. Unfortunately it seems to have been playlisted on 6 music and has been played 4 times already today(that's in one day). So no doubt by this time next week I'll be sick of it. I can't understand the obsession with playlists, I can on commercial radio where they probably are paid a fee, but the BBC isn't.

Oh yes and stop playing Keane, they are fucking shit, a wetter band I have never heard.