After over three decades, veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce will present his final show on BBC Radio 2 today.
The Scottish presenter’s final mid-morning programme will air from 9.30 am to midday before he leaves the corporation to join rival station Greatest Hits Radio.
His departure suggests a shift within the BBC to attract a younger audience, though critics like Paul O’Grady argue that Radio 1 already targets that demographic.
Bruce, who first joined the BBC in 1977 as a Radio Scotland presenter, will be leaving a month earlier than planned, as corporation bosses became “frustrated” that his shows were “free advertising” for his next station.
The 72-year-old has presented several different programmes throughout his career, including the Saturday Late Show and the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Sir Terry Wogan.
Bruce will be moving to Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio in April to present a new mid-morning show from 10 am to 1 pm.
Before his departure, he expressed pride in his association with the BBC and Radio 2 but also stated his desire to continue his career “in a slightly different way in the next few years”. However, he was “surprised and a little disappointed” to learn that his final show had been brought forward to Friday by the BBC.
Bruce’s slot will be taken over by TV presenter Vernon Kay in May, with Gary Davies, host of the station’s Sounds Of The 80s, presenting the mid-morning show from March 6 until Kay takes over.
The BBC’s apparent shift towards a younger audience has been criticized by industry giants like Paul O’Grady, who believes that Radio 2 was always for an older audience.
In response to his comments, a Radio 2 spokesperson stated that Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and that it was always known he would leave in March. They wished Ken all the best for the future.
»Ken Bruce will present his final show on BBC Radio 2«
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