Commercial radio journalism isn’t dead. For GMG Radio, local news is a big point of difference and plays a major part in giving the BBC networks a run for their money. Yes, they can outspend us, hire big-name presenters and back-them with glitzy, multi-platform marketing campaigns. But one of the few things the BBC can’t do is out-localise us. Local news is an area where we can connect, engage, build loyalty and win.

It’s not cheap and requires an investment but it’s something we think is the right thing to do. Music is no longer a given in defining stations in crowded marketplaces - it’s what goes on between the songs that matters and creates the sticky connection with audiences.

Every day, GMG Radio’s newsteams produce more than 300 bulletins bursting with regional content that’s relevant to the lives of our listeners. For the regions we cover, our news is a champion and a cheerleader for that patch.

But our remit doesn’t just stop at news bulletin production. We have lots of great journalists who are creating on-air and online features, documentaries and investigations into real life issues that resonate with our local audiences. It was really good to see that commitment to compelling, original content being recognised in this year’s Sony nominations where our North West newsroom was shortlisted for three awards.

Earlier in the year, the need for local news was brought into sharp focus when the snow caused chaos and there was a huge thirst for information.

Listeners knew they could get up to date information on schools, roads and services in their area on our stations – detail that they couldn’t have picked up from a national network.

In the North East when more than a hundred years of steelmaking on Teesside ended with the closure of Corus, our strong regional coverage made a huge emotional connection with the community. Gordon Brown came in to our studios to host a live phone-in with listeners, but it wasn’t Lord Ashcroft that our listeners wanted to talk about – it was local livelihoods and questions from a North East community facing a very uncertain future.

Gone are the days of broadcast journalists simply concentrating on what comes out of the speakers. The digital world gives us so many new opportunities and we now need to be delivering content on different platforms. As well as a microphone, teams now need to be armed with technology that visualizes stories and connects with social media.

The importance being played on news by Ofcom is an upbeat move for commercial radio newsteams – but there are still undoubted challenges. The economy is still in a tricky place and we will need to continue to change to get better.

But, like food and water, we can’t live without news and information. The commercial radio news world might be smaller and more efficient but it is still alive and has just been given a positive shot in the arm.