I've just heard that John Peel has died while on holiday in Peru.

A strange odd version of sadness. I know it's the end of that often misappropriated thing, an era. I was upset when Alistair Cooke died but in many ways that had been coming for a long while. And I remember being upset about the loss of Letter From America but consoling myself with Home Truths.

I'll admit right now that I didn't listen every week. To either programme. I mainly liked to know that they were on. But that's what the BBC excelled at. Making programmes that reassured you. That you know attempt to make sense of the world. That some people love. That I loved without listening every week. And I can admit that.

But where is the replacement. And I'm not talking about letter from the world or some lame-assed version of Home Truths with somebody else. What I mean is where is the up and coming person of stature. Radio has always suffered to television but the same is true there.

I remember hearing about Shell's hireing policy. Apparently they are so sure of who will do well that they can tell people where they are going to end up at the end of the interview process. They know the stage at which they'll find the pressure too much and leave the metaphorical kitchen.

Why isn't the BBC copying this? Why don't they say "right we'll take you on for 50 years but we'll take 50% of your future earnings on a50 year basis. I.e. we're the only people who can afford to employ you so you stay loyal but it's worth our while to find you a job.

The BBC is obsessed with new talent. But it's ot obsessed with keeping people. They don't sense that the two are compatible. You need to be able to come in and prove yourself and one person from each induction year gets to go long term. Or even one every two years. 25 long termers sounds right. Maybe let 50 through and drop some.

This is the long term view that is what the BBC is for and the shame is that Alistair Cooke and Jon Peel are the last of those looking at people e from the broadcaster. The only other area where the BBC has people on long-term on its payroll is Comedy (and the load exception that doesn't prove the rule* is David Attenborough in Natural History).

Interestingly if you search my name on www.google.com then you'll find that one of the top ten references to me is actually a request from me asking the BBC to mention John Peel's contribution to radio.

But John Peel is gone. And I can't believe that he won't be there. The old geezer wheeled out when Radio 1 wants some stature or the in touch with yoof guy that Radio 4 wheels out.

But most of all I'll miss the voice. It seems the voices are missing in radio these days or maybe it's just me. But I've missed Alistair's and I know for sure I'll miss John's. The only thing that I can say that is good about this, is that hopefully he will find out who, out if him and his brother, his father really did intend the Welsh Dresser to go to.

*The exception that proves the rule comes from a legal position. And people often get confused about what it means. Imagine a sign that says this: "No ball games including tennis, basketball and football." If somebody played cricket they could claim that as it wasn't specifically excluded it should be allowed even though it was excluded in the first part of the statement. Strange but that is what the expression is about.