Mark Thompson on the Asian Network and 6Music closure

According to the Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC needs to 'make sacrifices' in order to focus on its programming - thats the crux in his bid to close the Asian Network and 6Music, as well as cut spending across the Corporation's web presence.

In an interview today, Mark Thompson claims that the timing of this is a coincidence in reference to the Conservative party's political agenda.  Next steps include the public being consulted on the proposals of closing these stations but he maintains that the BBC is quite firm in its beilef that popular music can be brought to the larger audience better just through Radio1 and Radio1.

"The trouble with 6Music is that its got a relatively small audience right now ... if we built that audience up, we run headlong into mainstream media in this country."  In reference to the Asian Network, Thompson claims that the diverse audience it has is under-represented by the station and can possibly be better served in other ways, without the station[!].