A selection of your
comments on the PPL issue

Disappointed to hear that the licensing is going to restrict access to web broadcasts. I am a UK expat living in the Netherlands, and I listen most nights to my home town stations. I would be really gutted if this goes ahead.

Dave, North Holland, The Netherlands

I think it's outrageous that I can no longer listen to live UK radio from Hong Kong. I used to listen every day for about 5 hours or so and it was the perfect opportunity to catch up on what is happening back home. VERY VERY disappointed, I must say.

Bob, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

I am very sad for this change. I have really enjoyed listening to UK commercial radio stations and have much preferred them to my local stations. I will be forever thankful that radiofeeds.co.uk has brought me such great radio entertainment over the past year.

David, New Hampshire, USA

I enjoy listening to the music, weather reports, and even the commercials on UK stations. Those planning on travelling to that part of the world appreciate being able to keep up-to-date with current views and local news. If the purpose of this decision is purely a revenue raising ploy, it is very disappointing.

Cecilia, New South Wales, Australia

The British stations are so superior to anything here in the States. I've been listening to MFR for about two years and I feel like an old friend has died. I really believe that one of the reasons the live streams have been stopped is to keep control of where and when an artist will appear in different parts of the world. Britain has always been on the cutting edge of music and the live streams were messing up the schedules. It took about 18 months for KT Tunstall to make it to America.

Erik, Oklahoma, USA

When I have heard Heart 106.2 on the Internet, I had observed that they meet the "more music variety" position that they claim in their on-air advertising. This is something I will now miss out on because the Australian commercial radio stations just don't achieve the concept of music variety. It is rare to hear a metropolitan commercial station run music from the 70s till now and this country's broadcasters, like some other countries such as France, are under a cultural mandate to rum mostly local content. As well, the commercial radio industry in this country has been lambasted by music-industry commentators for highly-restrictive playlists and/or denying particular songs airplay. The metropolitan commercal FM broadcast situation in most state capital cities consists of four or six FM music channels owned by two or three broadcasters with two channels each. One channel will run 80s-"now" hot-AC music while another will run male-oriented classic rock from the 60s to the 90s. The commercial FM broadcasters won't touch the kind of funk, soul, disco and 80s groove that makes regular appearances on Heart 106.2's playlist because it is perceived as being for "gays", not "real men". This often ends up with offbeat examples of the music appearing on community stations, sometimes just for a few hours. The reality with this music is that it also appeals to people outside the sterotypical "gay" audience.

Simon, Victoria, Australia

I live abroad but I still listen to my UK local radio station. Now I can't because I have a dutch IP address. I don't know what harm I was causing and why not being able to listen somehow prevents something. It seems really crazy to me. The only time you need the internet to listen to the radio is when you are outside the broadcasting range - otherwise you can use your radio. The UK market has just been reduced. It will cost artists money, if anything. Reduced airplay = reduced sales. This is bizarre and should be scrapped.

Antony, South Holland, The Netherlands

This is a very sad development for us expats. Online broadcasting keeps us in touch with the UK. It gives us the chance to feel a part even though we may be thousands of miles away. It is another example of organisations seeking to make money from what has been up to now free for all to enjoy. I really appreciate having the opportunity to listen to UK radio which is one of the miracles of the internet. Please keep it that way. Thank you.

Barry, Northern District, Israel

Totally stupid. Internet streaming is for a worldwide audience. Surely this PPL organization will see the stupidity of this and relent. I am an Englishman living in Canada and it's great to hear some of the British radio I used to hear in England and some new stuff too. I hope Canada doesn't reciprocate because we have a lot of good stations here with worldwide listeners.

Barry, Ontario, Canada

This is the limit! I have been listening to 96.6 FM for some time now, and now I find I cannot. There are many stations like the BBC which I can still listen to but prefer 96.6 - my local station. Is this the thin end of the wedge? I thought this was the UK, not China!! As per-usual, it's all about money, not the free freedom of choice.

Nilocadnav, Kentucky, USA

The PPL's decision on webcasting for local services is an absolute disaster. I've lost some of my favourite stations to this hideous ruling. You would think the Capital group would be able to cough up the few extra pounds to keep running for listeners abroad, but they've decided to "go with the flow" and succumb to this. I'm angered and saddened by this whole affair.

Robert, New Mexico, USA