BBC Killed The Radio Star.

Today is a dark day for Pop Music.

By now you are sure to have read many rants, laments and course words blogged about the imminent closure of the BBC's leading alternative music station 6Music. This is a decision which will have far wider implications than merely causing a quiver of indignation to flicker across the 'indie-loving taste makers' temples. In an outlandish attempt to claw back an excess of 6 Million pounds the BBC have grossly let down a wider tax-paying demographic than perhaps, even they could imagine. Andy Parfitt (Big BBC Cheese and Radio 1 Controller) has stated that Radio one is to partially adopt 6 music's former remit whilst filling the void vacated by the closure of teen-orientated program BBC Switch. Leaving Radio One as the BBC's only outlet for Popular music will surely only create a compromise of diluted values, allowing the imminent return of 'Landfill Indie' back to the charts. The glory days of switching on your DAB to be greeted by a Tallulah Gosh b-side, the new single from Speech Debelle or an archive session from Bonnie Prince Billie will be nothing more than a fond memory of a time when music mattered. It's not just my White Middle-Class alternative music loving side that's got her knickers in a twist, my POP pulse is also heightened. The closure of Switch and the new-found need to peddle “Guitar Pop” on Radio One will leave little time for Pop music of the original sense of the word. They'll be no air-time for first plays of Mini-Viva singles, Calvin Harris or anything well produced and less than credible that's not dominating the A-list. So in short we are resigned to live in a world where Fearne Cotton insincerely champions Mumford & Sons, Temper Trap and Razorlight on the hour, every hour for the rest of eternity.

On a final note to add insult to injury the BBC have upped the budget for BBC 2's music coverage (so Glastonbury, Glastonbury, Glastonbury) by a further £25m, in the cold light of print this seems little more than a gross act of misspending. I for one could survive without seeing Fearne, Jo and Zane cohort about a specially fashion backstage bachelor pad in Swarovski crystal covered wellies whilst muttering about how “profoundly” beautiful The Dove's set was.

Today has been a dark day indeed.

Sophie