BBC Axes Top of the Pops

LONDON, June 21: After a 42-year-run, the weekly music show Top
of the Pops has been axed, with its last
episode set to air July 30.

Noting that the series “no longer occupies the central role
it once did,” the BBC said that niche musical outlets as well as online and
wireless offerings could serve audiences in a way that the weekly show
couldn’t. The BBC also notes that its music programming has increased across
its slate of channels. Upcoming highlights include a new series of contemporary
music sessions on BBC One; a look at the history of rock in The Seven Ages
of Rock on BBC Two; coverage of the
Reading/Leeds Festival on BBC Three, and an exploration of soul music entitled Soul
Britannia on BBC Four.

Jana Bennett, the BBC’s director of television, said in a
statement, “We're very proud of a show which has survived 42 years in the U.K.
and gone on to become a worldwide brand but the time has come to bring the show
to its natural conclusion. Although we bid a fond farewell to Top of the
Pops we remain as passionate as ever about
reflecting the vitality of contemporary music across all our channels."

The show’s final episode will be its 2,204th.