A group called the European Media Forum (EMF), about whom I've been unable to find any information on the web, has published a report saying that the BBC should sell Radio 1 and Radio 2 into the private sector, or so the BBC reports today. This is a ridiculous idea, as BBC News readers clearly articulate. People listen to R1 and R2 because they're commercial-free, they're free of commercial bias, and they have a broader range of programming than any commercial broadcaster is likely to schedule. (Would John Peel's show have been tolerated anywhere other than Radio 1?)
If anyone know who this EMF group is, please let me know. My strong suspicion is that it's funded by commercial broadcasters...but that may be because I'm a cynic. Regardless, if commercial radio is so upset about the BBC trouncing their ratings, they need to rethink their business model and stop complaining about the public choosing to listen to something other than their traditional inanity.
