Dark days for those of us who are too unfashionable to have embraced the iPod and like nothing better than the sound of white men thrashing away at guitars. Planet Rock, “the UK’s home of classic rock”, is climbing the stairway to heaven. GCap, Britain’s largest commercial radio group, says it sees little future in Digital Audio Broadcasting and is closing the station.

I discovered Planet Rock as I was playing around with my Roberts personal DAB radio. Soon I needed a daily fix of Led Zep, AC/DC and Neil Young as I walked to and from work. Some of the presenters are cheesy, others crass, with terrible, smutty jokes.

The ears are assailed with lines such as: “If music be the food of love, stand by for a good rogering.” One tasteful promotion claimed that if Kurt Cobain had owned a Planet Rock anorak he wouldn’t have blown his brains out. But – terrible confession, this – I find a blast of Guns N’Roses clears the mind wonderfully after a long day. It’s only rock’n’roll (but I like it).

Of course, the problem is that the sound regularly cuts out – especially if you are in a built-up area, when the transmission will frequently sound as if it is coming from the bottom of a swimming pool. This has contributed to the disappointing take-up of digital radio and its uncertain future.

This is a shame for those of us who relish the variety on offer on digital stations. You can catch a match on 5 Live Sports Extra or some obscure folk tunes on 6 Music. The other day I came across Birdsong, which broadcasts the soothing sounds recorded in a Wiltshire garden for 18 hours a day.

At Planet Rock they hope that the station may still be bought. Perhaps one of the ageing rockers who received regular airings on the station will step in.

But let’s prepare for the worst. As AC/DC almost said, for those about to rock for not much longer (we salute you).

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