Nine years back, I got hooked on to Worldspace. I thought it was a marvel... many radio channels, including foreign ones, via satellite, crystal-clear.

For nearly 20 years, I was fed up struggling to listen to the British Broadcasting Corporation, Voice of America, Radio Australia, Radio Ceylon and many other stations on my shortwave radio, with continuous disturbance. There was no television then.

Worldspace was godsent. I immediately purchased a Hitachi receiver online, after borrowing a colleague's credit card. It was pretty costly, but I knew it would be worth it.

When the set finally arrived, it was hell for many days. There were no customer care centres in place in India. I searched all over the internet and decided to do install it myself.

I succeeded after going through hell, getting the antennae at the right angle, hanging out from my window.

Office colleagues laughed at what they thought was my foolishness.

But, soon, I was enjoying nearly 40 channels of pure music and the latest news.

I was in heaven. News, pop, rock, love songs, Christmas carols, country music, Hindi music... I had it all.

Of course, intermittently, there were the bumps. The antennae on the building terrace had to be adjusted each summer and winter... satellite problems...

Some of you may say, but there is FM. But, FM interested me very little.

Now on the final day of Worldspace's service in India, I can say confidently, with my head held high, it was worth it.

I will miss you, Worldspace.