Radio 2 tells Tony Blackburn he must quit Smooth Radio show

The rivalry between BBC Radio 2 and Smooth Radio just got personal after the BBC station told its new signing, Tony Blackburn, that he would no longer be allowed to present his weekend show on the commercial network.

Blackburn has been hired by Radio 2 to take over from Dale Winton to present the Saturday afternoon nostalgia strand, Pick of the Pops, from 6 November.

The veteran DJ, who has never had his own show on Radio 2 before, also presents the weekend breakfast show on GMG Radio-owned Smooth Radio. At least, he did until now.

Radio 2 has told Blackburn it would be "inappropriate" to carry on presenting two weekend shows on rival networks.

"We would have liked Tony to remain on Smooth Radio's weekend breakfast shows but BBC Radio 2 stipulated that he would not be allowed to work for us. However, we wish him well for the future and I'm sure he'll sound sensational on Pick of the Pops," said a spokeswoman for GMG Radio.

A Radio 2 spokeswoman said: "We felt it would be wholly inappropriate for Tony to broadcast at the weekend on both Smooth and Radio 2. Ultimately it was Tony's choice to join Radio 2 for Pick of the Pops and to leave Smooth."

Blackburn's departure comes as Smooth gears up to launch as a national network next Monday. He has presented its breakfast show for nearly three years.

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