BBC confirms 6 Music closure

[khurramdar]

BBC confirms 6 Music closure

Tuesday, March 2 2010, 10:37 GMT

By Andrew Laughlin,

BBC director general Mark Thompson has told staff that BBC 6 Music and Asian Network will be closed down as part of a radical overhaul of the corporation.

In a briefing to employees, Thompson also pledged to shut down half the BBC website, place a £300 million cap on sports rights spending and close teen brands BBC Switch and Blast!.

Under the plans, around £600m in cost savings would be re-directed towards producing high-quality programming as part of a new focus on content.

Thompson wants to inject a further £25m into the BBC Two budget and also give the channel a new remit to pursue more upmarket programming.