Farewell Newbury Sound Options

[Moleman]

So farewell Newbury Sound. In a few weeks, Celador is replacing our local station with "Breeze" - a formulaic, safe, soulless, regional snorefest of lift music that has about as much local identity as Tescos.

On their own website Celador say "Newbury Sound is THE local radio station for West Berkshire, covering the towns of Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham. The station reflects the lives of its listeners on a daily basis with regular local news, sport, weather, travel and event information, mixed with intellegent speech and great feel-good music".

And of "Breeze", they say "The Breeze broadcasts 'the smoothest sounds' and is the best place to hear soft adult contemporary music".

I know what I prefer, and it is radio with Newbury Sound's stong local feel, rather than yet more regional soft smoothness. But as Newbury increasingly loses its identity and becomes a bland copy of the worst of everwhere else, perhaps that is all we deserve