Panicking BBC launches Radio 2 spin-off after losing listeners

New sister station playing nostalgic pop hits from yesteryear has angered commercial rivals

THE BBC has launched a new Radio 2 spin-off focusing on hits from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, as it scrambles to win back listeners.

The move, which will anger commercial rivals, comes as more than a million listeners have deserted Radio 2 since the departure of Ken Bruce last year, and the decision to concentrate on music from the 1980s onwards in a bid to attract a younger audience has driven many older people away.

Under new plans, the BBC will launch “extensions” to Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 1, available on DAB radio and BBC Sounds. The Radio 2 sister station will specialise in nostalgic pop hits, from Frank Sinatra and the Beatles to Abba and Chic, offering a “curated” schedule of archive material and some new commissions.

Some shows from Radio 2 will be duplicated across channels, including Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs.

The new station will also feature Sounds of the 60s and The Paul Gambac

cini Collection. But plans for the new station have ignited a row with commercial rivals, who accused the public service broadcaster of using “copycat” tactics to claw back listeners from “golden oldie” stations such as Boom Radio and Greatest Hits Radio.

The BBC has a Royal Charter obligation to provide services that are distinct from those offered by rivals.

Greatest Hits Radio has gained almost three million listeners since Ken Bruce joined the station after four decades at the BBC. Boom Radio, which launched in 2021 with the aim of capturing a generation who felt left behind by the BBC, now reaches over 500,000 listeners.

Phil Riley, co-founder of Boom Radio, described the new spin-off as an “absolute rip-off ” of his own venture.

He said: “It seems to fly completely in the face of what the BBC should be doing… It’s outrageous, really.

“The decline in BBC radio audiences is shocking and they just seem incapable of addressing that.”

Radiocentre, which represents groups such as Global and Bauer, said: “The BBC are, yet again, attempting to compete directly with commercial radio stations, interfering with the market and failing to provide distinct public value. Senior leaders at the BBC don’t seem to acknowledge that this is not what the BBC, with its taxpayer funding, are supposed to be doing.

“They are required to provide services that are truly additional, distinct and incremental to what is already provided by commercial operators, not duplicate it.”

BBC bosses said the shake-up – which marks the corporation’s first new radio launch in 22 years – will give audiences more choice and value from the licence fee, as well as updating its offering for the streaming age.

Lorna Clark, director of BBC Music, said: “Our extensions for Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3 will allow listeners to deep-dive into more pop and classical genres and periods of music they love the most, uniquely created by the BBC.

“They’ll get a deeper listening experience than what’s available elsewhere, hear brilliant storytelling through our extensive archive, and discover more music to love whatever their mood.”

A spokesman added: “Radio 2’s planned extension will provide a dist i nctive t ake on pop nostalgia, unmatched by anything in the current marketplace.”

The BBC will now launch a six-week public consultation on the plans and the board will carry out an internal public interest test. It will then be passed to regulator Ofcom for approval, with a decision expected late in the year.

Radiocentre called on Ofcom to reject the plans, warning they did not deliver against the BBC’S obligations and harmed commercial innovation.

Ofcom said: “We are aware of the BBC’S plans to make changes to its audio services. It’s for the BBC to consider the impact of these changes on competition, and we expect it to engage with industry as part of that process.

“In addition, we have extensive powers to scrutinise the BBC’S plans once they are further developed. This will also involve listening to the views of interested or affected parties.”

It is not the first time commercial radio stations have accused the BBC of unfair expansion. In 2022, t hey launched legal action against Ofcom over its decision to approve Radio 1 Dance, an online-only “stream”.

A judge ultimately ruled against the commercial players, and the BBC now plans to expand Radio 1 Dance to DAB.

The BBC’S expansion plans also come as the corporation wields the axe on its local radio output, laying off presenters as it shares more programming across the 39 stations.

‘They are required to provide services that are distinct from what is already provided by commercial operators’