6Music takes risks to educate and entertain

By Helen Brown Published: 4:15PM GMT 03 Mar 2010

6 Music DJ Jarvis Cocker Photo: BBC

The Facebook page set up by those fighting to save BBC 6Music uses a absolute allude to from Martin Luther King, Jr as the rallying cry. "Almost always," he said, "the creative, dedicated minority has done the universe better."

And given the launch, behind in Mar 2002, the digital air wave station"s beautiful programming and loyalty to new song has positively done my universe improved and my jot down pick up richer. I was twenty-five when I initial tuned in, online, and detected for the initial time in my hold up intelligent, clear DJs who crackled with passion for and believe about the annals they were playing. "Listen to this!" they"d say. And afterwards they"d ask us to email in the opinions.

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I"d grown up in the epoch of zoo radio. Radio 1 and Radio 2 presenters who unthinkingly pulpy fool around on predictably renouned songs in between blasts of ego-driven inanity. There was late night John Peel, of course, but zero uninformed during the day. "Alternative" blurb stations similar to Xfm were as well spooky with their own cool images and prior to prolonged their playlists became unbearably repetitive. While Radio 3 introduced me to lots of sparkling new classical, jazz and universe music, I gave up seeking for new cocktail sounds on the radio. When my friends and I were scouting for those, we"d review the song press and when interruption with tough warranted money for cds we"d cranky the fingers and goal that the sounds we"d paid for tallied with the reviewers" descriptions. And then, in to the low firth of cocktail radio, sailed 6music. It was my generation"s Radio Caroline: open minded, strange and just-a-bit underneath the radar. And 6Music"s organisation expel their nets far-reaching to move us all demeanour of uncanny and smashing new sounds that alternative air wave stations lacked the enthusiasm, bravery and aptitude to play

Whereas alternative BBC cocktail air wave plays song by "safe" artists who are only as expected to reach audiences (and capture advertisers) on blurb radio, 6music takes indeed Reithian risks to teach and perform song fans. It gives musicians a chance. It does for cocktail lovers what Radio 3 does so brilliantly for fans of exemplary music. And at roughly half the cost (per listener, per hour) of Radio 3 too. 6Music"s annual bill is only �6million compared to Radio 3"s �51.1 million. And 6Music"s assembly of 695,000 has been augmenting by 12.3% year on year. 91, 847 listeners have already assimilated the Facebook "Save 6Music" page. They"re signing petitions, coining slogans, portrayal banners and organising a demonstration. Because 6Music listeners are intent and desirous by the creativity of the artists 6Music exposes them to. They"re a beautiful and dedicated minority. You can find them online here, where they"re fighting to have the informative universe better.