[Hybrid tellies]

I sent this to my local MP with the last batch of local AM transmitter closures a couple of years ago. Needless to say I did not get a reply.

Hi Chris
As a country we are all facing greater uncertainties with threats from acts of terrorisms, possible civil uprisings after Brexit and more severe natural events such as storms, floods, heavy snow events severe gales etc. thanks to climate change and global warning.
All of the above could cause widespread and lengthy disruption to our power distribution networks which in turn will severely disrupt our local TV, FM, DAB radio, mobile and landline phone networks.
During such lengthy power losses most households will not be able to use their televisions, they will lose their broadband connection as routers require a mains supply, and even if they still have a mobile voice and data connection the battery life on laptops, tablets, smartphones etc. is limited to a day or less.
The few people that have batteries fitted to their portable FM/DAB radios would be ok for a day or so before the batteries required charging whereas if they had a battery operated AM/FM analogue portable radio the batteries can last between 40-80 hours or more.
It was proved during the more recent floods in Lancashire and the north of England that for many people there only contact with the outside world was via there AM radios either listening to their BBC local radio station, a more distant BBC local station or the BBC and commercial national stations such as BBC R4, BBC R5L, Absolute and Talk Sport. They had no TV, broadband, mobile phone networks and the local FM and DAB radio networks had been severely disrupted due to widespread and lengthy power outages.
If events like this become more frequent then we could be facing situations where large areas of the country could become totally isolated with no way of providing important information that would be required during such severe events. At the moment this risk is low because most people still have access to an analogue AM radio and can receive both national and local stations but if we start to close down these AM radio services then we could be creating huge problems for ourselves in the not so distant future.
By investing in the AM radio infrastructure and promoting the services we could end up with the most diverse robust and rugged radio broadcast network in the world by reducing the chance of total isolation of many communities during difficult conditions as the chances of a total failure effecting all AM, FM and DAB radio services is reduced somewhat. Also AM radio signals on both long and medium wave bands do have a much larger coverage area than FM and DAB radio signals. So unlike FM and DAB signals where you end up with nothing if all local stations are off air on AM in most cases you would be able to hear more distant stations that could provide useful or vital news and updates. It is also interesting to note that during a power cuts AM radio reception can improve as all the cheap and nasty gadgets, CFL and LED lighting, battery chargers etc, that pollute the AM bands would be off during any power cuts cutting noise levels back to the low levels we enjoyed 25-30 or more years ago. This would allow reception of weaker more distant signals to be received.
For more normal times we should promote AM radio services alongside FM and DAB services. For BBC Local radio they could cover three different sport fixtures at the same time as Radio Bristol use to do before the 1548 KHz AM service was closed. On Saturday afternoons Bristol City would be on FM, Rovers on DAB with rugby on AM. At other times during the summer AM would carry Somerset or Gloucester cricket whilst normal programmes went out on FM or DAB. For BBC R5L they could carry different events one on AM, then a separate game or sport activity on each of its two DAB services. This is already done on BBC R4 on 198 KHz Long Wave with TMS etc. with normal.

Perhaps I should resend it to him.