Farewells: World of Music (World Service) and Radio 7 (soon to be BBC4 Extra)

World of Music on the World Service

I have quite often caught at least pat of the World Service's programme 'World of Music', a show that over the years has been hosted by Mark Coles (currently) and - of course - the late Charlie Gillett.

Sadly, in these cut-cut-cut days, the World Service is ditching much of its arts programming, and 'World of Music' is one of the casualties. Nice work BBC: a great memorial to the work of Gillett et al (sic).

The last show will be next week (March 26 2011).

The World Service cuts have been among some of the most problematic made around the BBC: language services disappearing, availability on services other than the internet cut, and general diminishment of the provision. *sigh*

Radio 7 - to be 'rebranded' Radio 4 Extra

Trying to close 6Music didn't work. They even had to give up on getting rid of the Asian Network, both relatively cheap stations to run. Now, Radio 7 is about to be imminently rebranded as Radio 4 Extra. Urgh - that even SOUNDS ugly.

Radio 7 was station that had turned into the last home of children's broadcasting on radio, and which gave audiences the chance to hear programmes from the past - sometimes the distant past, another age of radio entirely - including the excellent 7th Dimension strand of regular sci-fi and fantasy broadcasting. Doctor Who found a home here, in all sorts of forms.

So why the expensive rebranding? It seems to be a way of cutting off the last opportunity for audiences to hear radio broadcasts from before the last year or so, and in this age of the web, do we really need a DIGITAL station to add more Archers stuff to the ether?

I hope that, despite the way things look at present, the new schedule for Radio 4 Extra will retain at least some of the best qualities of Radio 7.

It seems unlikely though.