Why the BBC Graveyard Radio Shift is Vital to Creativity

News of cutbacks in BBC services will inevitably not please everyone.
A fundamental concern is the need for a criterion to determine priorities which includes at its heart how the BBC is a crucial cultural ambassador for the UK plc brand, and also how it is a key driver, instigator and nurturer of creativity and creative talent in Britain.
And that is why plans to change the graveyard radio shift with a UK-wide service need to be opposed. Why should we bother about a broadcast time slot that not many people listen to?
Imagine you are a young creative talent looking to get your break into broadcasting – it is the graveyard shift where new talent gets its first sniff of performing to the big wide world. . (Just recently reading DJ Chris Evans autobiography and his story confirms the significance of the slot for getting an early break into broadcasting.)
The savings of the night yard shifts must be miniscule.
Yet the denial of opportunity for future talent will be costly – both to the BBC, to the creative life of Britain, and to brand UK plc.