Ofcom Delays BBC's Radio 2 'Oldies' Spin-Off

The BBC's plan to launch a Radio 2 'golden oldies' spin-off station targeting older listeners with music from the 50s to the 70s faces delays and regulatory hurdles after complaints from commercial rivals to Ofcom. While Radio 2 remains popular, recent departures of key figures like Ken Bruce have impacted its audience, leading to the proposed new station on BBC Sounds. Ofcom has raised concerns about potential competition harm to existing online stations catering to similar demographics, prompting a full public interest test for the Radio 2 spin-off. In contrast, spin-offs from Radio 1 and Radio 3 focusing on music from different eras have been allowed to proceed, indicating varying impacts on the radio landscape and audience preferences.