Top of the Pops, the world's longest running weekly music show, will end its run on 30 July 2006, the BBC announced today.
In a statement the BBC said: "The decision to bring the show to an end after 42 years has not been taken lightly and over the past few years every effort has been made to maintain the quality and distinctiveness of the show".
However the BBC's Creative Review Music Strategy has concluded that in a "rapidly changing musical landscape Top of the Pops no longer occupies the central role it once did".
Over recent years the show has faced increasing competition from multi-media and niche musical outlets which enable viewers to consume music of their choice any time night or day in a way that Top of the Pops simply could not deliver.
The statement added: "At the same time, the breadth and diversity of music programming across the BBC's television portfolio has dramatically increased, reflecting the increasingly diverse landscape of audiences' taste in music".