Ok. I'm going to go out on a limb here and state the obvious.
As I listened to the podcast, I got the sense that when they mentioned Basic D&D, they were saying that they were following the Basic "concept" rather than "content." I know, I know... that seems really obvious, but what I mean is that it's a philosophy, and that philosophy may affect how content is developed, organized, and delivered.
They aren't going to have Dwarves, and Elves as classes (obvious again!) - that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm just saying that "Basic" was... well - basic. It was a list of bare-bones rules written in a very encouraging and inviting way (I'm talking about the Mentzer red box). Things like numbers of spells, the combat math, and other game details, those are going to be influenced from latter editions and/or new innovations. So, when the designers mention a choice of "6 spells" - that's determined from a philosophy of design (obvious again... I know, I know).
I think it's a great idea. There are a lot of times in the basic set where the text encourages players & DMs to create solutions, and they also include optional rules, like poison use. It's written to intrigue non-players, inspire new players and prepare experienced players to move on to more complex interpretations if they so desire.
Personally, in this "new basic" approach, I hope they keep things centered around the D20 - that was a great unifying concept in 3.5 both in marketing and design. Wizards mentioned that they want to "recall" the original feel of D&D and to identify the "essence" of D&D. Those are good goals, and I hope that they take steps to honor the origin and essence of D&D while tying it in to possibly its most important, contemporary symbol - the D20.
The question I do have is this. When they mentioned a choice of "6 iconic spells," arethey saying a choice from 6, or a choice of 6 from a larger number? If it's a choice of 6 spells at particular level, are those 6 spells of a particular level or are they a mix? What kinds of choices are these six spells - at will, cast & forget, ritual? The answer to these questions, for me at least, weren't as obvious.