From today's Soundbite:

6 Music's roast Lamb
By John Earls - On Tuesday, 6 Music celebrated its sixth anniversary.

An appropriate day to get the bunting out? Actually, the station didn't mention the big day - probably because it's busy dealing with the almighty furore surrounding George Lamb.

Brought over from presenting T4 in 6's mid-morning slot, it's nigh-on impossible to keep track of all the petitions to have him kicked off air.

Lamb, the son of '80s TV actor Larry Lamb, had some background in music: he managed Audio Bullys and a pre-famous Lily Allen before wanting a TV career.

He quickly established himself on T4, fitting in with perma-ironic hosts like Rick Edwards and Steve Jones.

But, on 6 Music, Lamb replaced amiable muso Gideon Coe. Listeners reacted as if, when John Peel died, he'd been replaced by Jordan.

Lamb's Moylesian chirruping doesn't fit with 6 Music's stated policy of being a haven from mainstream radio.

Most of Lamb's critics feel he's being groomed for Radio 1 and that he'd be perfect there, as if accepting Radio 1 has now irreversibly dumbed down.

It isn't just the puerility of what Lamb says that grates, it's the sheer amount of it: cutting off band sessions mid-song to shout "Shabba!" yet again.

6 Music controller Lesley Douglas has only once fully explained her decision to hire Lamb - on Radio 4's Feedback.

Douglas said Lamb had been recruited to bring in more female listeners.

Which meant that either (a) Douglas believes women stare dreamily at their DAB radios having impure thoughts about Lamb's lad-next-door looks or (b) they enjoy his Nuts-esque "Oi! Oi!" banter about how many "birds" he's "chirpsed".

Douglas also claimed Lamb really is passionate about rave and rap, honest.

Maybe. But that doesn't excuse his towering ignorance about everything else - his interview with Super Furry Animals was so awkward, it could have been scripted by Larry David.

Moreover, how can Douglas justify Lamb playing just 63 songs in three days, compared to Shaun Keaveney (109), Nemone (113) and Steve Lamacq (92)?

As is the way of online hot topics, anti-Lamb petitions are springing up every five minutes.

One, getlambin.co.uk, defends Lamb's show to the hilt and has been plugged several times on air by Lamb.

Alas, many anti-Lamb camps feel this contravenes the BBC's anti-self-promotion policy. Trouble is, even if Lamb goes, who fears Douglas will replace him with another Moyles clone?