TOP OF THE POPS - BBC MUSIC CHIEF HINTS AT TOP OF THE POPS RETURN

BBC MUSIC CHIEF HINTS AT TOP OF THE POPS RETURN

Top of the Pops could make a return to the screen, according to the BBC's head of music entertainment.

Bands such as the Ting Tings and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as culture secretary Andy Burnham have recently called for the return of the music programme, which was axed in 2006.

And last month the BBC controversially announced it was also cancelling the annual Top of the Pops Christmas Special.

But Mark Cooper, the BBC's music chief, has said the weekly music programme will one day make a comeback.

"I would personally love to have a weekly music show on the BBC. It's a sleeping beauty. One day it will come back, in the way that Top Gear and Doctor Who came back," he told Timesonline.co.uk

Cooper said the programme's poor ratings had been the reason for its cancellation.

However, he added: "It's probably no longer the case that Top of the Pops can be revived on the basis of it being an entertainment programme - instead it may have to be judged as a public service."

The Times article quoted a "music industry insider" as saying Top of the Pops was in dire need of an update.

"There is only one chance for a comeback, and the programme will fail again if it returns exactly as before," the source said.

"It needs to be more populist and have exclusive content, new songs that can be put up on YouTube and shared around the internet."

Simon Cowell said last month he is prepared to come to the music show's rescue and purchase the rights for a Top of the Pops Christmas Special broadcast on ITV1.