THE radio landscape has changed in a substantial and quite alarming way during the 15 years that NCB Radio has been broadcasting.

When we launched, on the FM dial there was a competitive, local radio landscape. You had BBC Radio Cornwall providing a full time service with limited networking throughout the day, paid for by the license fee we need for watching the box in the corner of the room.

Commercial FM broadcasting was also a vibrant place. In Cornwall we had the mighty Pirate FM, which had spent the 1990’s and 2000’s providing one of the best commercial radio outputs in the United Kingdom on 102.2 and 102.8 FM and they had been joined by a terrific competitor in Atlantic FM on 105.1 and 107.0 FM.

Community radio was in its infancy, with RSAB launching in St Austell, alongside Source FM in Falmouth to name two.

In 2026, very little remains of those comparatively swashbuckling years. Atlantic FM was the first to fall, being gobbled up by the Global behemoth to become ‘Heart Cornwall’ with the vast majority of shows coming from London.

Even Pirate FM, once seen as being the station most likely to buck the trend and thrive for seemingly ever is gone after UKRD, the group which owned it was bought by German media giants Bauer.

Initially, it seemed like it would be given a chance to survive as Pirate but then the wrecking ball came in the form of Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio.

Now, its Carn Brea Studios, once a hive of activity and vibrancy led on air by the likes of Bob McCreadie, Duncan Warren, Neil Caddy, Allen Fleckney, Ian Polmear, Scott Temple, Robbie Dee, Tony James, James Dundon and James Martin to name a few of many of its alumni is empty, silent and advertised for sale until recently.

As for community radio? The gates have become closed to new applicants but one little rule holds many back - they cannot raise more than 50 per cent of their income through advertising. It was a rule introduced to protect the interests of the smaller commercial radio stations but appears to still remain despite those stations being gobbled by giants.

NCB is unlikely to ever become an FM station even if it reopened, not least because we’d almost certainly get into trouble on a frequent basis, but also because it simply isn’t affordable. If you’ve heard some of our presenters, you’d know what we’d mean about trouble. We’re the kid at the back of the class blowing raspberries and carving the word ‘fart’ into the wooden desk.

But it struck us quite recently that at the same time that genuine local, commercial radio is virtually non existent, there’s no support for the smaller stations who keep the flame alive thanks to the dedication of the volunteers and on a shoestring all for the sake of loving what they do and where they live.

If there’s any MPs reading this, yes, we’d like your help to change that.