Commercial Alternative?

If something is trending on Twitter does that make it news? In the case of Justin Bieber, probably not, but with 6 Music it definitely is. It's been a common topic over the last week and Mark Thompson's recommendation today that 6 Music and the Asian Network should be axed has many Twitterers all a-skitter:


6 Music and Asian Network are radio stations that simply wouldn't exist if it was left to commercial radio. The clue to what motivates commercial radio is in its very name. The BBC doesn't operate in a financial vacuum but it is one of the only media organisations in the world, perhaps THE only one, whose sole motivation is not simply the pursuit of profit. As such it is able to fund stations like 6 Music and the Asian Network, stations with a small but devoted audience who keep coming back because what they get from the station is something they can't find elsewhere.

I've been listening to 6 Music all morning despite the fact Lauren Laverne is a presenter I'm not a massive fan of. Is there a commercial station where you'd hear Nat King Cole followed by the Pixies, with Parliament and Stevie Wonder following in the next hour? It's not something I'd ever expect from XFM, which is probably the closest to an equivalent 6 Music has in the commercial sphere. To say that the station needs to go in order to allow commercial broadcasters to compete on a more level playing field is disengenuous. There are some areas commercial media organisations will not go into as the costs far outweigh the profits.

I'm probably getting close to haranguing so I'll move on. The point of this blog is the five a day, and today I'm going for five bands/artists that I first heard on 6 Music. I was going to write that there was simply no other way for music fans to dscover new music but that's being dramatic. There are countless websites, blogs and social sites where the intrepid musical exploring can satisfy their wanderlust. What makes 6 Music different in my eyes is the way the music is presented: knowledgeable presenters talking passionately about the music they love. You don't get that on Spotify.

The Antlers: Two



A concept album apparently about terminal illness shouldn't work for any number of reasons but Hospice by The Antlers does, and this song is the highlight of it.

These New Puritans: We Want War



I seem to remember texting a friend to recommend this, saying it would be on "the playlist of the four riders of the apocalypse." I may have been drunk at the time but I stand by it.

Jesca Hoop: Seed of Wonder



From one of 6 Music's best shows, Guy Garvey's Finest Hour. Eerie folk that sent to me to bed disquieted but also desperate to hear it again.

North Sea Radio Orchestra: Ivor the Engine Theme



Does anyone honestly believe a commercial station would play this or any of the other bonkers gems that reside with Stuart Maconie in his Freakzone?

mclusky: To Hell With Good Intentions



They eventually became the equally magnificent Future of the Left but I first heard them on 6 Music and for that I will be eternally grateful.

To contact the BBC Trust directly regarding the recommendations about 6 Music and the Asian Network, as well as the BBC Strategy Review in general click here. Twitter is all well and good but it's probably going to take more than that.