[DTV]

I still think other things could and should have been cut first.

But which services would you have cut first? I know this isn't a popular view here, but I honestly can't see how ringfencing the old News channel could possibly have been justified any longer - it had remained relatively unscathed throughout several prior rounds of cuts (to the extent of actually increasing its budget in real terms) and has, regardless of thoughts on the output, been actually able to retain the same level of original programming as before - which isn't something that could be said of other cutback services.

While there might have been other options (none of which would have been popular here either) and, even with a merger, there would have been several crucial things I personally would have done differently, I find it hard to see the cuts to the News channel as unfair or see services that should have shouldered extra cuts (or even be wholly eliminated) to save it.