BBC shake-up

Changes ahead

After the speculation over the future of areas of the BBC, director general of the corporation, Mark Thompson has finally spoken out saying that BBC 6 Music and Asian Network are facing closure. While speaking to staff, Mr. Thompson also announced that half of the websites on BBC online will close by 2013.

Among the closures will be teen services Switch and Blast, with Mr. Thompson admitting Channel 4 should lead the way with these audiences.

During the briefing, Mr. Thompson said the earliest 6 Music and Asian Network would close would be by the end of 2011.

The review said 6 Music delivered "relatively few unique listeners to BBC radio.

"Given the strength of its popular music radio offering from Radio 1 and 2 and the opportunity to increase the distinctiveness of Radio 2, the BBC has concluded that the most effective and efficient way to deliver popular music on radio is to focus investment on these core networks," it said.

The BBC would review how some of 6 Music's "most distinctive programmes can be successfully transferred to other BBC radio stations, and how its support for new and specialist music can be sustained across the BBC."

Also facing changes is comedy and drama station BBC Radio 7 which will be now known as "Radio 4 Extra", under proposals published today.

The strategy review has now been submitted to the BBC Trust and a public consultation period will take place, the BBC news site reports.

Pledge

In the future, Mr. Thompson has pledged that 90p of every licence fee GBP£1 will be spent on programming and the corporation would spend 25 percent less on BBC online.

The review said more money will be ploughed into international news and the BBC must put a higher proportion of the licence fee into quality programmes to make "fewer things better."

As a result of the changes Mr. Thompson said he expected the plans would see an extra GBP£600 million diverted into programme-making.

BBC Worldwide is expected to go through a period of change, with the possible loss of magazines such as Top Gear, Radio Times and Gardeners' World.

It will also move to a more international focus, deriving at least two-thirds of its revenue from outside the UK by 2015.

The report said BBC local radio had to improve "its quality and originality", with more to be invested in local journalism, the British paper The Guardian reports.

Local websites will be refocused to carry only news, sport, weather, travel and "local knowledge content". A new "contract for local" will define a series of BBC commitments and limits, "including a commitment never to becoming any more local in England - that is, never to increase the BBC's number of local services on television, radio and online or to make any existing services more local".

Jodie Humphries

Jodie Humphries graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA Hons in Creative Writing in 2008. She has worked for GDS Publishing for the digital group since July 2009. She has previous experience with writing for the web, running her own website since April 2007.

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