BBC TO REPLACE 6 MUSIC WITH 24-HOUR IAN DURY CHANNEL

After months of speculation, the BBC has finally announced its plans for the status of the 6 Music digital radio station, which has been under review as part of attempts by the Beeb to cut costs and streamline its services. Following a number of high profile and widely reported protests, petitions, and campaigns on social media network websites such as FaceStroke in opposition to 6 Music’s potential closure, director general Mark Thompson has revealed that, rather than shut down the channel entirely, it will be replaced by a slightly cheaper service, offering 24-hour rolling Ian Dury content. This compromise will consist of archived Dury interviews, old radio sessions, previously recorded Blockhead concerts, documentaries on the making of the tracks ‘Hit me with your rhythm stick’ and ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’ as well as live transmissions from the Camden Barfly of Dury poetry as read by Phil Jupitus. Whilst still facing criticism from 6 Music campaigners, Mark Thompson pointed out that BBC Dury 24 had already been running for a fortnight in place of its parent channel, without anybody noticing the difference.

In other news, the BBC Asian Network is to be axed as planned.