The BBC has announced that TOP OF THE POPS is to be axed, after a run of 42 years on TV. The show\'s final edition will air on Sunday 30th July. In a press statement released this afternoon, BBC Director Jana Bennett said: \"We\'re very proud of a show which has survived 42 years in the UK 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.\" Roly Keating, Contoller, BBC TWO added: \"I\'ve really enjoyed the last year that TOP OF THE POPS has transmitted on BBC TWO and the team did a stirling job in revitalising the format for our audience, but we all recognise that the time has come to move on.\" It\'s a sad fact that the BBC deliberately killed off all interest in TOTP. First by moving it (in 1996) from its traditional Thursday night slot of 7.00pm to Friday at 7.30pm, where it was in direct competition against \'Coronation Street\' - how could *anything* compete with that Then by moving it to Sunday on BBC2 last year - after which they repeatedly denied the rumours that the show was for the chop! That was a complete lie - moving it to BBC2 was *always* intended to be the last stage of their plan to phase it out altogether, by which time they knew that no one would care or even notice. This is very sad indeed! Surely the BBC, as a PUBLIC SERVICE broadcaster, should have a duty to provide a weekly, popular music programme - regardless of ratings! The programme controllers who make these absurd decisions, without consulting their viewers, should realise that it is US, the licence-fee payers, who pay their fat cat,

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