LONDN, UK (Top40 Charts) Ken says: "Nothing stays the same forever and I have decided the time is right for me to move on from
Radio 2 when I reach the end of my current contract in March. It's been a tremendously happy time for me: I've made many friends and worked with many wonderful colleagues."
"However I feel that after 45 years of full-time broadcasting on BBC
Radio it's time for a change. I would stress that this is entirely my decision but some new opportunities have come up and I would like to continue my career in a slightly different way in the next few years, the details of which will be revealed shortly. I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and
Radio 2 in particular and I'd like to thank everyone who has helped to make the mid-morning show a success."
Lorna Clarke, Director, BBC Music, says: "Ken is an extraordinary broadcaster with an exceptional career over many decades. He has been part of every significant occasion marked by BBC
Radio 2 and we, his faithful audience and the
Radio 2 all-star line-up will miss his warm humour and wit. Congratulations on a brilliant career."
Ken joined the BBC in 1977 as a BBC
Radio Scotland staff presenter. His first regular slot on
Radio 2 was the Saturday Late Show in 1984, and the following year he fronted the
Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Terry Wogan. He moved to mid mornings in 1986, then after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, he returned to mid mornings in January 1992, where the show's most recent weekly reach was 8.56m (RAJAR, Q3 2022). Ken has also presented
Radio 2's coverage of Eurovision since 1988, and has been a regular presenter of Sunday Night is
Music Night. Ken's show is famous for PopMaster, a quiz which has run for 25 years, Tracks of My Years, where a famous person chooses their favourite records and more recently, The Piano Room, featuring live music from a range of great artists.
Radio 2 will announce the host and details of the new mid-morning show at a later date.
BBC
Radio 2 is the UK's most listened to radio station, with a weekly audience of 14.46 million (RAJAR Q3, 2022), and won Station Of The Year at the
Music Week 2021 awards. The network's presenters include Michael Ball, Zoe Ball, Rob Beckett, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Rev. Kate Bottley, Ken Bruce, Rylan, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini,
Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Cerys Matthews, Scott Mills, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O'Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, DJ Spoony, Liza Tarbuck, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Johnnie Walker, Jo Whiley, Claudia Winkleman and Steve Wright.
Also, Ken Bruce is joining the team at Greatest Hits
Radio from April of this year. The much-loved presenter will become part of the Greatest Hits
Radio family with a brand-new mid-morning show from 10am - 1pm. Ken will kickstart a weekday line up that also includes presenters
Simon Mayo at Drivetime and Jackie Brambles in the early evening.
Ken's show will be broadcast across the entire network, following Rossie's Breakfast show in England and Wales and Ewen & Cat's Breakfast Show in Scotland. This will be followed with regional afternoon shows, which in Scotland will be hosted by
Stuart Webster, and then
Simon Mayo's Drivetime Show before evening programming with Jackie Brambles.
This announcement follows last week's news that Greatest Hits
Radio will become Scotland's first national commercial radio station as Clyde 2, Forth 2, MFR 2, Northsound 2, Tay 2, West Sound in Ayrshire, and West Sound in Dumfries & Galloway all rebrand to Greatest Hits
Radio on the same April 3rd date.
Ken Bruce said "What better way to celebrate my forty-five years in radio than with a new adventure and a brand-new show on Greatest Hits Radio. I say brand-new but there will still be PopMaster, me and my musings and all the great records you know and love from the 70s, 80s and 90s. I'm looking forward to getting started and to you joining me for my very first show. See you in April!"
Ben Cooper, Chief Content &
Music Officer, Bauer Audio UK said "Ken Bruce is a broadcasting legend, with the biggest radio show in the UK, so as well as today being an exciting announcement for Greatest Hits
Radio and its growing audience, it is a hugely significant moment for the industry. What a fantastic start to a great year of increased ambition and innovation for Bauer Media Audio."
Playing the biggest songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s, Greatest Hits
Radio is a station that celebrates the good times. With music from the most iconic artists of all time, including Blondie, Queen,
George Michael, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac,
David Bowie,
Elton John and Whitney Houston, it is home to presenters including
Martin Kemp, Pat Sharp, Kate Thornton, Paul Gambaccini, Andy Crane and Jenny Powell.
You can listen to Greatest Hits
Radio on FM, DAB digital radio, on your smart speaker, mobile device or online at greatesthitsradio.co.uk.
