On New Year’s Day, 1964, viewers from across the country tuned in to watch the first episode of Top of the Pops, a programme that for the next 42 years counted down the weekly singles charts, interspersed by both live and mimed performances by some of the biggest names in music.
It provided some of the most iconic moments in British pop culture over the next few decades, be it David Bowie appearing as Ziggy Stardust in a multi-coloured jumpsuit, or Morrissey twirling a bouquet of gladioli, the programme came to define the nation’s music scene.
That is, of course, until 2006, when the BBC’s Press Office issued a statement that ‘in a rapidly changing musical landscape Top of the Pops no longer occupies the central role it once did’, and that, against a background of falling ratings, it would be discontinued.
Accompanying this announcement was a claim that the broadcaster had expanded ‘the breadth and diversity of music programming’.
18 years later, this does not seem to be the case. With the exception of hastily compiled ‘Live at the BBC’ programmes, the odd festival, and, ironically, re-runs of old Top of the Pops episodes, there seems to be almost no new music shows on the BBC, and even less on other broadcasters.
The fact of the matter is, the number of TV shows providing music-related content are dwindling.
Even those programmes that remain, most notably BBC2’s ‘Later… with Jools Holland’, are shunted into late-night slots. The fact of the matter is, the number of TV shows providing music-related content are dwindling.
The BBC’s original statement provides the most likely explanation for this - TV is unable to compete with digital media when it comes to music consumption.
It is now very easy for someone to search for an entire concert performance by their favourite artist online, as opposed to waiting for a Thursday evening to catch 3 minutes of them miming to their latest single. This, coupled with young people’s reduced television viewing, the increased individualism of music consumption, and the far-reduced role the pop charts now plays in British life, has delivered a death blow to music on television.
It's safe to say that it’s not looking likely that the BBC will be fulfilling its pledge to expand musical programming anytime soon.
