BBC Radio 2 lost more than a million listeners since Ken Bruce left the station for commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio, according to official audience data.
Bruce spent three decades presenting the same mid-morning timeslot on Radio 2, where his mild-mannered style and Popmaster music quiz helped build the biggest audience in British radio.
Yet BBC bosses failed to nail down their most popular presenter on a new contract, enabling Bruce to jump ship to Greatest Hits Radio to present a show in a similar timeslot. Bruce was also able to take Popmaster from the BBC to his new employer, after personally securing the trademark during the 1990s.
The move has turned out to be an enormous success for Bruce and Greatest Hits Radio, with quarterly Rajar figures showing his new show reached 3 million listeners a week between April and June.