Following all the noise being made last week to try and save BBC 6music, supporters of the Asian Network are getting more vocal. As previously reported, the BBC is planning on shutting both digital radio services.

Among those to put their name to an open letter to the BBC Trust supporting the Asian service were actors Laila Rouass, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, Olympic medal-winning boxer Amir Khan, 'Bend It Like Beckham' director Gurinder Chadha, England cricketer Vikram Solanki, singers Jay Sean and MIA, and Bollywood and 'Big Brother' star Shilpa Shetty.

The letter, published in full in The Guardian, says that the Asian Network is a "key platform" for the national Asian community "and offers creative British Asian talent an outlet which is demonstrably under-represented in the more mainstream BBC. This would all be tragically lost if these proposals are agreed". The letter adds that the signatories were "shocked" by proposals the station be closed.

The BBC's chief Pepsi expert and radio boss Tim Davie has defended the Beeb's controversial decision to axe the Asian Network and 6music.

Davie, who became head of BBC Audio & Music in 2008 bringing, erm, zero seconds of experience in radio and music to the table, has blogged about the cutback plans amid mounting opposition to the proposals, especially in relation to music service 6. Davie argues that, while he loves the two services that are facing closure, it is right for the Beeb to focus its radio resources into making a smaller number of stations more brilliant, rather than spreading it out to nine national stations, two of which have only small audiences.

He blogged yesterday: "I do not believe that offering the current range of nine stand-alone digital networks is the right way to serve audiences and ensure radio remains strong in a digital world. And, while digital radio has seen growth, my concern is that current development remains slow. So we are proposing to reduce the number of stations and re-invest in our five core networks - Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Live - and extensions of these services, while maintaining our overall investment in digital radio to use in a range of innovative ways to provide listeners with great digital content".

He continues: "But this strategy of focusing efforts on doing fewer things better also means difficult decisions. Clearly we didn't arrive lightly at the decision to recommend the closure of 6music: it is distinctive, much loved and I too am passionate about its output. But I believe the best way for us to provide that kind of programming is by looking at other ways to find it a bigger audience. While we are re-focussing on fewer networks, we will consider how the range of music played on Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3 should adjust to ensure we continue to offer a diverse spectrum of new and UK music as part of our stronger focus on originality and distinctiveness".

CreativeStudent.net's sister publication CMU, the music business news service, has responded to Davie's remarks thus:

Of course, as someone or other I was reading about the other day said, the BBC is in a very tricky position, because while key players in the political community are constantly calling on the Corporation to make cuts, there will be vocal groups who speak out in support of any service or programmes that are axed in order to streamline the Corporation. And even those of us in the 'save 6' camp must recognise that the high volume of the support being heard for that particular station this week is in part aided by the fact some of its most passionate supporters work in the media, or are active Twitter users.

But then again, my two main problems with the BBC cuts proposals remain, and nothing Davie or his boss Mark 'Tommo' Thompson has said have addressed these two points.

First, both Davie and Tommo justify cutting services like 6 so that they can improve "quality" elsewhere in the Corporation's output. This is a clever rouse, because it's a justification that sounds good but means nothing. It also assumes that you get better quality TV and radio programmes when you spend more money.

While it's true that there is a minimum amount of money you need to spend to get good content (a minimum many commercial radio stations don't provide their programmes any more), the vast majority of BBC Radio's national shows are over-funded and over-staffed, with Radio 1 and Radio 2 the most guilty in this regard. Pumping more money into these stations will just mean they become even more over-funded, not that the quality of programming will improve.

Second, the aim of these cuts is primarily to placate critics in the commercial sector. Those commercial critics complain because Radios 1 and 2 - which compete with their stations - have an unfair competitive advantage because of the vast over-spending and over-staffing that goes on. The proposals of Davie, Tommo and John Tate, who wrote the cuts document, will actually make this imbalance worse and piss off the commercial radio sector even more.

While it can be a good thing to bring in expertise from outside the media into broadcasting companies, to ensure alternative thinking at the top, you get the impression here that the fact Davie, a former fizzy drink seller, and Tate, a former Tory Party twonk, know little about making good radio is in part behind such a misguided strategy being employed. Tommo is a former programme maker, but has his heart in TV not radio, and certainly not music.

So yes, us 6 fans are emotionally attached to a minority interest station, and we are using our media connections to kick up a bigger fuss than our number should probably allow. But CMU's problems with the plans to axe 6 remain unemotional - Davie, Tommo and Tate are just employing bad strategy.

The publisher of both Creative Student and music business news service CMU, Chris Cooke, this weekend wrote an open letter to Conservative Party culture spokesman Ed Vaizey, after the MP was quoted by The Guardian on Friday as referring to the leaked BBC proposal to axe 6music as being "intelligent and sensible". Cooke believes that closing 6music would not achieve either of the aims of the BBC proposals - cutting expenditure and placating the Corporation's commercial critics - but would instead result in a vital non-commercial music service being lost. His letter to Vaizey outlined six reasons why the station should be saved.

Cooke concluded: "I've been to many schmoozing fests where political types from all parties have stood up and told us how proud they are of Britain's music industry, which is one of the most prolific and successful in the world. But take a look at the telly pages in the Radio Times. Try to find the TV programmes representing the British music community on BBC television. If it wasn't for Jools Holland, there wouldn't be any. Now look at the radio listings. Even on the music stations, we all know the daytime shows aren't really about the music. And yes, Radios 1 and 2 have specialist shows, but they squeeze entire alternative genres into tiny time slots, mostly in the middle of the night. Surely the BBC has a duty to represent, showcase and celebrate this great British music industry of ours? Well, it does. Through 6music".

Noting Vaizey's regular appearances on Radio 4's political magazine 'Westminster Hour', he continued: "6music is to the music fan what Radio 4 is to the political community. The place where their passion - good music, new and old - gets the airtime it deserves, where informed and intelligent people can discuss the good, the bad and the ugly, and where the music of today can be put into its historical context. Is it perfect? No. Could costs savings be made? Probably. Should it be better promoted? Definitely. But to tell a music fan that 6music will close is like telling a parliamentarian that all of Radio 4's political output is to be cancelled. Don't worry, GMTV and TalkSport will pick up the slack".

Vaizey responded this morning by stressing that his remark that the leaked proposals seemed "intelligent and sensible" referred to the entire strategy document, written by BBC policy director and former Conservative policy chief John Tate, and not specifically the shutting of 6music.

He writes: "As I have been cast as the man who wants to close 6music, let me put my remarks in context. The BBC has undertaken a strategic review because it recognises that some of [the commercial media's] concerns are legitimate. I had no strong views on 6music on Friday, [but] what struck me as 'intelligent and sensible' was the recognition that the [BBC] website is causing problems for national newspapers; [the proposal to] cap the sports budget, so that competitors like ITV and Channel 4 can get a look in; a reduction in investment in imported American programmes, again so others can bid for successful shows, and so that more money can be spent on UK originated content. I decided to support the general thrust of the proposals in public because there are others who want the BBC to go much further in terms of reducing their service. I thought it would be helpful to the BBC to signal that their efforts - in trying to reduce the scope of some of their services - were recognised".

On 6 more specifically, he adds: "Several things have happened since I spoke out. I am now an avid listener to 6music. I suspect that 6music has doubled its audience. I strongly suspect 6music will be saved. I should emphasise that any decision on 6music is firmly that of the BBC and the BBC Trust. Also, one quote of mine that was not picked up is that this is the beginning of the debate - there is no reason to assume that what is proposed is what will happen. So, to sum up - I had no strong views on 6music on Friday, I now know it is brilliant with a passionate and articulate fan base. [But] its future is not down to me. And I remain firmly committed to the BBC looking carefully at how its services affect its commercial competitors".

CMU Publisher Cooke adds: "As a media owner myself, I agree the BBC should constantly review its operations and consider when it should and should not operate in markets where it goes head to head with commercial operators. But to include proposals to shut 6music as part of such a review just doesn't make sense. I think most people, other than perhaps John Tate, realise this is so and therefore I hope Ed is right when he says he thinks 6 will be saved. I've forwarded my six points to the BBC Trust also, to be added to the grand pile of other 6music support they have surely now received. Let's hope they do the right thing".

You can read Chris and Ed's letters in full here.

Meanwhile, CMU are following this story, and have reported on the various other people who have hit out at the proposals 6music be shut. You can read their coverage here.