Lyons said in an interview with The Guardian that if there was a big enough public response to the moves, he would ask management to rethink.

"If we find that... there's massive public concern that we need to take account of then we will go back to the director general to rethink the strategy before it's approved," he said.

The interview followed the news yesterday that the BBC is set to shut 6 Music and the Asian Network as part ...