MU disappointed at BBC Trust findings

The Musicians’ Union has expressed disappointment at the BBC Trust’s conclusions from its service licence review of BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 Music and Asian Network, which were published yesterday. In particular the MU is concerned about the proposal to drastically reduce the coverage of live music on Radio 1.

John Smith, MU General Secretary says: “The MU is a massive supporter of the BBC and will robustly be making the case for a renewal of the charter and a realistic increase in the license fee to the next government.

“These findings from the BBC Trust, however, run the risk of compromising the unique coverage of live music events on the BBC. One of the main jewels in the BBC’s crown is radio and the magnificent offer that the license fee payer gets because of the rich variety of musical genres presented on Radios 1, 2, 3, Asian Network and 6 Music.

“The proposal to reduce the number of live sessions on Radio 1 from 250 to 160 is very concerning and the BBC should remember the u-turn it was forced to make over 6 Music when it became clear how much the public valued that station. Without the BBC’s commitment to live music the public would have virtually no opportunity to experience it on broadcast media and the MU believes that Radio 1 must remain distinct from the offer made by commercial broadcasters – namely by maintaining its coverage of live music.”