BBC 6Music

It's been called the BBC's secret station, due probably to being launched in 2002 onto the unknown and unused DAB digital radio network.

I suspect a few more people now know of it's existence since the Times 'leaked' a BBC report that it was due to be closed along with Asian network and a lot of it's online presence.

The howls of protest have been staggering, and none have been more surprised then the stations presenters themselves. Shaun Keavney on Friday morning was quite choked up, and this was a mere couple of hours after the leakage... since then we on the twitter #save6music and #savebbc6music groups have *really* got going.

We have support from Rock stars like David Bowie on down, the NUJ is on our side along with hosts of comedians celebrities and the like. We now even have a number of MP's.The only real silence has been from those you would have thought would be the most vocal, presenters from the other stations, most notably Radio 1. Jealous perhaps.

I have written to the Mark Thompson himself, to the BBC and to the board of governors along with several MP's and ministers, the BBC complaints department, signed petitions and constantly tweeted and Facebook'd on the subject.

And why would I bother, what is the magic of BBC 6music? I mean it's only a bleedin' radio station...

Probably 10 years ago I'd stopped listening to music. Strange but true. For years I didn't even have anything to play it on. There was a half hearted 'cinema' thing in the living room and that was it. I listened to Radio 4 and everything else was at most relegated to the loft. The albums went down the dump... (I know)

I'm not even sure why it happened now. I just thought that nobody was making music for me and that I'd better face it, ageing and time for talk only radio.

in my 40's and not dead yet. Way past radio1 and it's non stop banalities and diet of stock aitken and Waterman (now simon cowell) and/or rap/dance and *never* ready for the suburban wasteland that is radio2. My time was over.

Now I'm not saying that it was 6music that changed this bleak outlook, but suddenly something changed. All I know is that they have fed into my renewed passion for music. I have NEVER bought so much, NEVER listened to so much. I have been to concerts, I have 4 *count then4!* full on Hi Fi systems with facilities for every format. I have an iPod that I could not live without.

6music is the Radio 3 for the Rock & Pop generation (a fact I see is being picked up by more and more people) it is clever, passionate, they care about music and what they play. And most importantly they play music for me and people like me, music that is not covered by and other radio station anywhere.

It is thanks to 6music I discovered MUSE.

This cultural vandalism must not happen, and by god if I have anything to do with it, it won't.