On Thursday evening Hannah, one of our members of staff, attended the Asian Music Awards. She was there to chat to the stars of Asian music and film and distribute orange bands showing support for the Asian Network and BBC 6Music campaign.

A range of stars, including Jay Sean, the first British Asian musician to reach number 1 in the US charts, and film director Gurinder Chadha, were keen to wear an orange band and speak in support of our campaign.

Support the Asian Network and BBC 6Music and join the stars in signing our petition here http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts

You can also email the BBC trustees directly to tell them to stop the cuts.  Click here to contact the BBC directly in 1 minute http://www.38degrees.org.uk/email-the-BBC-Trust

38 Degrees at the Asian Music Awards – stop the cuts to the BBC from 38 Degrees on Vimeo.

Today we visited the BBC Trust in central London, to deliver the first batch of our petition – 20 000 names – to the key players in the decision to ‘shrink’ the BBC. We wanted to give them a taste of just how big our response to proposed cuts is going to be.

Rob, one of our volunteers, dressed up for the event as a dalek from BBC drama Dr Who. We wanted to show the people at the top of the BBC what a well-loved institution it is, by bringing along a character from one of its most popular TV shows.

After getting some amused looks from passers-by (daleks are a rare sight in central London, apparently) we reached the home of the BBC Trust, where Rob delivered the petition to a member of BBC Trust staff. We told him that tens of thousands of us oppose cuts to the BBC, especially the axing of Asian Network and 6Music. We also made sure he knew that this is only the first of many actions we’ll be taking.

We’ve sent a clear message to the BBC Trust that we won’t stand for cuts. It’s important that we keep this pressure up for the period when the proposed cuts are being considered. We’ve got some great actions planned, but in the meantime please make sure you sign our petition, and that your friends and family do the same.

Say no to cuts to the BBC, here: http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts

UPDATE: here’s our petition delivery video:

In the past week, a massive 29,000 of us have signed the 38 Degrees petition to stop cuts to the BBC. It’s clear that we’re not willing to put up with the closure of much-loved services like 6Music and Asian Network.

Tomorrow we’ll be handing in the first batch of our petition to the BBC Trust. We want to show the BBC in person what a huge outcry there has already been about the cuts. But this doesn’t mean that our petition is ending. As more people sign up in coming weeks, we’ll be visiting the Trust again to submit thousands more names to them. And we hope that together we’ll be able to think up many more creative and clever ways of making sure that our message gets through.

We’d love you to join us when we deliver the petition. We’ll be meeting at the Meze Cafe near Great Portland Street station at 1pm tomorrow before heading to the Trust. You can find directions to the Cafe here, or give us a ring on 020 7611 4728 if you’re having trouble finding us.

If you haven’t already signed our petition, please add your voice now: http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts

Over the last 48 hours over 10,000 38 Degrees members have taken action to stand up for the BBC.  Thousands of people have written in telling us their story, below are some of the recent comments, see the latest comments and sign the petition here.

“The BBC is a great national Institution, with a great international reputation for quality that is second to none. Put people first, not profit. Don’t wreck the BBC.“ Greg

“The BBC is one of the few things we have left to be proud about – lets keep it that way.“ Jim

“dont you dare!!! you will regret this action.” Geoff

“6 music is the only radio station available without ads, and with dj’s with great, varied taste in music. I just can’t imagine work without it. Please keep it going. X” Clare

“DO NOT CUT 6MUSIC! BIG MISTAKE!” Ben

“Save Public Broadcasting!” Nicholas

“Whoever is responsible for this ludicrous decision has single handedly lost the BBC every ounce of credibility it ever had.” Michael

“Radio 6 would have a huge audience if it was available on FM. Where I live you cannot access digital radio except through the TV – and I can hardly carry that round the house and garden with me. Neither can most people access it in the car where many of us listen to the radio. How about cutting the hugely expensive building programme and the excessive salaries paid to BBC executives and so-called celebrities instead?” Carol

“The BBC is one of the few things the uk has going for her. Don’t give in to corrupt bullies like Murdoch.” Joe

“I don’t care whether other corporations don’t like. The BBC is OURS, and we want it to be as broad and expansive as possible. Who says there needs to be fair competition in the media? It’s our airwaves, and frankly from the mess that has been made in the USA of television, and especially news, the only thing that is stopping news, and therefore politics, going the same way as the USA is BBC, by setting a bar high enough that the others must stay close to. If you neuter the BBC, it’s a race to the bottom, and the entire tone of political discourse in the UK will go down the toilet, taking with the newspapers, talk radio, everything. It is precisely through the lack of “fair” but essential competition that the BBC introduces that keeps the UK from degenerating into an ill-educated backwater. If you think that the educated, sharp, witty qualities are inherent in the culture, try removing the BBC from its omnipresent position and watch the erosion take hold, and twenty years from now you’ll be crying on your knees over the worst decision to befall our nation since TV became ubiquitous”. Alan

“ The BBC serves the people. Corporate media barons do not.” Jane

“6 Music is part of my everyday life, it would be a huge mistake to axe it. It would be a better decision to get rid of Radio 1. There are plenty of commercial radio stations around just like it. Nothing could replace 6 Music!” Scott

“Murdoch et al have only commercial interest in media, the lowest comon denominator is that which sells not what is of quality. The BBC is a cultual gem that we should not lose. Thhe BBC is cheap,malmost evetyone in the UK uses it and gets value for money. Can you imagine FOX news here?” Lance

“I really hope this is a publicity stunt as shutting down 6music would be a huge loss to the British music industry.” Thomas

“please don’t cut radio 6. It is by far the best radio station around and has become a big part in my daily routiene!!! X” Maeve

“It is Rupert Murdoch that needs cutting down to size.Not the BBC” Peter

“The BBC is a national treasure. Don’t let politicians or commercial interests dumb it down or restrict it.” Steve

Why do you think we should save the BBC from harsh cuts. Let us know in the comments.

The BBC has just announced plans for “halve web output, axe two digital radio stations and slash spending on foreign shows”. Thousands of 38 Degrees members are taking action right now to fight these cuts. Please join in. You canf orward the email below, which we sent out to all 38 Degrees members, this morning:

Today, the BBC is expected to propose making massive cuts to its service, including closing two radio stations and halving the size of its web site. Commercial rivals have been lobbying hard for the BBC to be cut, and it’s on the brink of giving in to the pressure.  According to The Times, the proposal is a bid to “shrink” in order to “appease the BBC’s rivals.” [1]

The BBC has many enemies among its corporate rivals. But public pressure has saved it before, and can save it again.

We’ll be delivering our petition against the cuts to the BBC Trust later this week – please add your voice now:
http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts

The BBC isn’t perfect, but the people pushing for these cuts want to destroy it, not to improve it.  The Times, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch, responded to news of the cuts by describing the BBC as “bloated”, and calling for further cuts such as closing Radio 1. Last autumn, his son James Murdoch gave a speech calling for the BBC to be forced to become “far, far smaller”. [2]

We know that if we work together, we can shift decisions about the media for the better. Last November, thousands of us came together to email our MPs and stopped plans to hand commercial rivals a slice of the BBC’s license fee.  Just a couple of weeks ago thousands together to persuaded The Independent not to hire Rod Liddle as editor.  Now we need to do the same again to prevent deep cuts to the BBC’s service.

Help make sure our petition to the BBC Trust is huge, please sign now then spread the word: http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts

Thanks for getting involved,

David, Hannah, Johnny, Nina and the 38 Degrees team

PS: Public outcry to these cuts is springing up across the web. We’ll make sure our petition gets in front of the right people at the right time – please spread the word and encourage people to sign the petition here: http://38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-BBC-cuts