The BBC plans to axe two radio ¬stations – 6 Music and Asian Network – cut spending on imported shows and halve the size of its website, it is claimed today. The Times says the measures are part of the BBC's strategic review to be unveiled next month. Under the plan, the BBC intends to shrink overall services and focus more on quality over quantity. There have already been reports suggesting that the BBC will axe the digital radio stations 6 Music and Asian Network.
Quoting BBC Trust sources, the newspaper states that the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, is also being pushed to slash the budget for imported shows such as Mad Men and Heroes by a third.
Thompson reportedly will also introduce a cap on spending on broadcast rights for sports events of 8.5% of the licence fee, or about £300m.
The Times says the BBC's web pages are to be halved, backed by a 25% cut in staff numbers. The web operation's £112m budget will also be cut by 25%. It also plans to include more links to newspaper articles to drive traffic to the websites of rival publishers.
In November Thompson hinted at a period of retrenchment for the BBC, which is funded by the £3.6bn annual licence fee. He said then he was looking at cutting some of the BBC's digital television and radio services after the analogue TV signal is switched off in 2012.
He also raised the prospect of "reductions in some kinds of programmes and content" including a look at the "current scope of our website". He promised that, after the switchover, a higher proportion of the licence fee would be spent on "original British content".
The Times reports that the BBC2 budget will be boosted by £25m and the channel will be directed to go upmarket. This will be funded by 25% reduction in the corporation's budget of £100m for foreign acquisitions.
A spokeswoman for the BBC said last night she would not comment on "speculation".

Please join the petitions/facebook groups or twitter

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010...ternet-website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/6music/
http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/1000/

I agree with the BBC. Cut back - and cut the licence fee too.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=657536

I thought someone may have mentioned this already but couldn't find it...OOOPPPSS!!

I can see some debate happening on the axing of Asian Network - they'll get grief for that one. Have to say I'm sure there are more lucrative ways of saving money that doesn't include axing the stations that serve the people. Kind of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Hey, let's save money by axing the radio stations, the bosses can pay themselves more that way!

6Music is saved, for now at least.