The state of broadcasting discussed at the Music Show

"We are living in the middle of a revolution, an amazing time," reckoned Whizz Kid CEO Malcolm Gerrie on today's first panel. "There are two camps at the moment. The glass half full people, who are excited, and the luddites. Often it's a generational thing." Speaking about the massive success of U2's online video venture with their 360 tour, which he worked on, he commented on online broadcasting. "The whole thing has been democratised."

Broadcaster and musician John Robb was also on the panel, and he was quick to point out that the true challenge was breaking new acts, the next U2. He bemoaned the current state of conventional broadcasting. "They underestimate what people can listen to. I think everything's too sanitized now. 90 per cent of what's on TV is X Factor. There's a whole raft of music you never hear, you never see. It's a narrowing of what music really is."

He had much criticism for Louis Walsh, particularly his performance on yesterday's Music Show panel. Robb saw Walsh's argument that there was not enough of his Irish acts on radio as hypocritical. And of Walsh's acts? "I think it's a crime!" Robb said. "It's like robbing people's pocket money, he should be in jail!"

Renowned Irish broadcaster and The View's host John Kelly, dismissed the X Factor brigade from the discussion. "It's got nothing to do with music at all." Kelly spoke at length about his career, from the Mystery Train show ("We were literally getting away with it for twenty years") to Other Voices ("It wasn't the kind of music programme I would have made if I was let loose...I would have set it in a church, in the middle of winter!")

But he was particularly proud of The View and the exposure it gives new Irish talent. "A lot of the bands you don't hear about till they've been on The Late Late Show, actually started on The View," he noted.

The Music Show was also delighted to welcome Mark Cooper, the Creative Head behind BBC Music Entertainment and Later with Jools, to the panel. He discussed how they select musicians to appear on Later... "By falling in love, basically," he admitted. "The principle focus of it is to find new people. The beauty of TV is that it can make you see something and fall in love. Booking by committee doesn't work. If I believe in something, I'm going with it."

However, the majority of audience questions once the discussion was opened to the floor were directed towards the Head of RTE 2fm, John McMahon. McMahon spoke frankly about the changes he's made at the station, and the balance he must find between being both a public service and a commercial entity. He also talked about the move to digital and how radio can continue to be a relevant. "Radio has to find another reason why you actively tune into it," he said. "Radio is at an absolute crux right now. Digital is going to mean that you're going to end up with more and more niches."

With the panel looking back on the old days of The Tube and Top Of The Pops, they recognised that the old way of broadcasting is a thing of the past, as people diversify and choose their own music online. As Mark Cooper, who was involved with The Tube, commented, "We are living in the last days of Rome. That world is gone and a lot of excitement is gone with that."