The BBC will close digital radio stations 6Music and the Asian network, in an effort to reduce its size and not compete with commercial rivals, according to a report in the Times today.

Already a 65000 person strong Facebook group opposed to the closure of 6Music has emerged, and messages on Twitter have been running hot all day. There is also an online petition and Labour MP Tom Watson has drafted a motion to be tabled in parliament.

Not content with sitting by and watch the BBC throw away a unique station, shortWWWave has launched its own Save 6Music website.

Australia's Nine network has finally announced details of its new digital channel, which is to be launched on August 9th, 2009. The station will be named "GO!" and will be pitched at people aged 14-39 years old, a direct attack on the rival Ten network, which targets a youthful audience.

The station will be available on digital only, on channel 99 in metropolitan areas. In regional areas in Australia's eastern states, the new station is expected to be carried by the WIN and NBN networks on channel 80.

Earlier this year, the Ten network commenced broadcast of its ONE-HD sports channel. The third Australian network, Seven, has not yet provided any details of what it plans to do on its second standard definition digital channel.

Melbourne will get a new talkback radio station in 2010, when 3MP drops its long held easy music format. Targeted to go head-to-head with market leader 3AW, and to a lesser extent, the considerably more moderate 774 from the ABC, 3MP will hire the high-profile Steve Price from Sydney's 2UE as program director and breakfast announcer, along with the conservative Herald-Sun writer, Andrew Bolt.

The end result, however, may simply be to split 3AW's audience, and leave the ABC's 774 Melbourne at the top of the ratings.

Australia's Seven network has launched a new digital multichannel named 7TWO. The station is aimed at a general audience, unlike its competitor's second channels GO (from the Nine network, aimed at a youth audience) and ONE-HD (24 hour sport, from the Ten network).

The station is now on air in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

In a move that will have every shortwave enthusiast saying "I told you so", Fiji's military dictatorship has ordered Radio Australia's local FM transmitters to be shut down.

International broadcasters worldwide have being scaling back their shortwave services, preferring to set up local transmitters in their target countries, seemingly oblivious to the fact that those transmitters will only continue to function as long as the local government remained friendly.

Radio Australia is fortunate that it still operates shortwave services to this region, but this should come as a hard lesson to all international broadcasters that local FM radio is no substitute for shortwave radio.