The people of the Isle of Wight need to be scared tonight.

Tomorrow, I am going to be unleashed on them again, for the first time in over two and a half years, as I read a radio news bulletin.

I'm returning to my 'roots' where I lived and worked for four years at the island's radio station.  It's celebrating its 20th birthday with a special open day for listeners and a number of former presenters and journalists have been invited back to mark the occasion.

I'm really looking forward to returning to see what's been happening since the station was bought by the fantastic management team.

They are a bunch of people who live, sleep and breath the radio station - are passionate about doing proper local radio and most likely do it because its a vocation more than perhaps a career.

Isle of Wight Radio is an example of how it can and should be done.

It was launched in the days when you could still print money at a station with dozens of staff - of course that's not the case now. 

But, IW Radio has always been successful.  It has a loyal following of listeners and a loyal bunch of advertisers who clearly think it provides good value for money and boosts their marketing.  There was a period when it was owned by a massive mainland based company which ruined it for a while - but now it seems like it is back to the 'good old days'.

It has a strong set of presenters, who live and love the island, supported by a hard working team of sales gurus who ensure it continues to thrive financially.

I was there from 1997 to 2001 and it remains the best radio job I've ever had - that's why I'm so excited about going back tomorrow.

It's an interesting time for commercial radio - OFCOM, the industry regulator - has announced new 'rules' for broadcasters.  FM stations will be allowed to co-locate and cut their local programming so long as they provide 'regularly updated' local news.

I think that's criminal.  Radio stations shouldn't be allowed to co-locate and cut local programming.  If they can't make it work financially, then they shouldn't have the licence to broadcast in the first place.  OFCOM's relaxation of the rules over the past year or two means my local radio station now actually broadcasts to me from an entirely different county.  That's hardly 'local'.  It's also a crap listen and the only mention of my home town is when the presenter rattles off the station's oh-so-boring strapline.

Already one large broadcast group with stations across the country has issued a memo to staff hinting that 'now that we have specific information to plan from, it is for us to review it and make some very important decisions on the future shape and size of the company'.

That's code for cutting jobs as far as I can tell.

If the staff of Isle of Wight Radio can make it work, and I'm sure there has been plenty of blood, sweat and tears along the way, then EVERY radio station should be expected to make it work as well - broadcast to and within the area they serve.

I'll be tweeting and 'Andybooing' from the island tomorrow and I may even broadcast my bulletin via this site (if I can get the tech to work!).

Wish me luck!