BBC licence fee could cost £1bn and 9,000 jobs, claims report
How commercial stations could follow TV's lead

The radio industry suffers a downturn at the hands of both itself and the rising popularity of MP3 players such as the iPod, which enables people to listen to an automated playlist of their own choosing without having to put up with annoying DJ's and jingles for double glazing companies. No wonder local radio is starting to panic.

So if radio stations can't have iPods banned they turn to something that they feel that they have a bit more influence over, namely trying to force the BBC to forego some of its distinctive content. The BBC is an easy target at this moment in time, though arguably it's only 1Xtra (Radio 1's hip urban music twin) that has the potential to 'threaten' the commercial sector.

As for Oneword, it has struggled from Day 1 to turn in a profit, so it shouldn't blame others for a potentially defective business model unless it has the ability to prove itself. The success of podcasting ought to teach Oneword how to survive in a crowded market, but will it learn successfully from this model?

Ultimately forcing the BBC to close down the likes of 1Xtra and BBC (Radio) 7 will ultimately achieve nothing but the restriction of choice and forcing more listeners to listen to their iPods. There is still scope for growth within the radio market but broadcasters will just have to become more creative, which will benefit everyone as a result.