Space case

The idea that Radio 2 should be sold off by the BBC to a commercial rival is as nonsensical as BBC1 losing Strictly Come Dancing, or Heinz giving up on baked beans. The station, in its former incarnation as the Light Programme, was a core product of the corporation, the home of the Palm Court Light Orchestra, Kenneth Williams, Semprini, Billy Cotton, Sid James and Edmundo Ros. It gave us ‘light’ entertainment — music to dance, exercise or sing to, comedy shows, magazine programmes, dramas of ordinary life rather than Greek tragedy.

The comedy programmes on 2 were siphoned off long ago to 4 and then 4 Extra, as were all the dramas, including The Archers, and Woman’s Hour too. The ‘light’ orchestras have mostly been disbanded, even the BBC Concert Orchestra is under threat but just about surviving. But, at more than 15 million listeners, 2’s programmes still have the largest audience of any TV or radio network (Radio 3 hovers around two million while 4 reaches just above 10 million).