John Plunkett, in The Guardian, has caught up with Planet Rock's current owner, Malcolm Bluemel - another commercial radio boss who doesn't want 6Music to go. "It's not a good thing for digital radio to have it close."
However, the interview suggests a way forward for The Trust - take a saving in running costs to spend on glossy telly, but keep the station going. Bluemel says he spends around £1m on content and £1m on distribution; 6Music spends £6.5m on content and £2.5m on distribution and support. "There is no reason to kill 6 Music. They should just kill some of the cost. It is a ridiculous amount of money to run a station that size" .
Bluemel's a truly magnaminous rival - Planet Rock is only a little ahead of 6Music in audience figures, and, after two years at the station, he's only just moving into profit month on month. The issue he grasps, which the BBC seems to be avoiding, is the need to keep the DAB offering as strong and as varied as possible.
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