Stars Back Protest Over British Radio Station Closure

DAVID BOWIE, LILY ALLEN and MARK RONSON are backing a petition to save a British radio station, after BBC bosses announced plans to shut it down on Tuesday (02Mar10).

The corporation’s 6 Music, an alternative station for lesser-known rock and pop acts, is set to close imminently in a bid to save money.

The decision has been met with a storm of criticism in the U.K., with many top stars voicing their anger at the move.

Bowie says, “6 Music keeps the spirit of broadcasters like John Peel alive and, for new artists to lose this station would be a great shame.”

And Allen is fuming the station is closing down, branding the BBC’s decision “bad news” for British music.

She tells Britain’s Guardian newspaper, “It will be awful if they do decide to close BBC 6 Music, and I hope that the backlash they’ve received so far will make them think twice. Clearly it will continue to cause an uproar, which is the last thing the BBC want. Perhaps they weren’t expecting this level of interest in a niche station.

“I read that they want to invest in quality over quantity, but how does that make sense? If they close 6 Music, instead of acts like (singer-songwriter) Seasick Steve… it will be the Pussycat Dolls… Closing BBC 6 Music is bad news for unsigned acts and new British music.”

Ronson adds, “I’ve done shows on it and it will be a terrible thing if it closes down. I’ll definitely be joining the petition to keep it going.”