[Junk Box Nick]

When I was a kid the radio often didn't play what I was interested in. It is often forgotten that the offshore pirates aimed beyond teenagers as they had products to sell. Most teenagers weren't interested in the latest offer from MacFisheries or Silexene paint. Later, Radio One was very much a station for the 'housewife' albeit aimed at the younger end of the spectrum.

I did very much what the kids of today do – looked elsewhere. That's why we all had record players. Swapping records with friends was part of the fun and exploration.

The Radio Caroline of the 1970s was probably the only truly youth station playing the alternative prog rock music of the day and that was only feasible because the transmitter was hired out to Dutch stations during the daytime.

I don't think Radio will die. After this little CV-19 do is over, or as we settle down to live with it, and operate within the resulting smaller economy, the consolidation of commercial stations that was already underway will accelerate. AM for the reasons we all know has had it. Local commercial stations are in the main not viable but community stations will spring up to fill the gap and FM is a suitable vehicle for them. Though content quality may be variable it's likely we'll get a broader selection of listening as a result whilst the commerical channels stick to their 'narrowcast' wallpaper formats.

What continues to be standard equipment in cars will be a determining factor. DAB has only just become ubiquitous and there are plenty of cars on the road twenty or more years old. Advertisers want to reach these people.

I use an internet radio but for online-only and overseas stations. Great but prone to the usual drop-outs somewhere in the chain of many weak links. Transmitter to receiver radio is simple and reliable.