Radio 2 told to cater more for over-65s

In a major review of the station, the BBC Trust said yesterday that Britain's biggest network should find a "more varied and challenging selection of programmes" even if this meant losing some of its audience.

Its sister station BBC 6 Music was also told to attract older listeners, particularly those who were more music-savvy.

There had been fears in some quarters that the Trust would recommend acclaimed digital service BBC 6 Music should be closed, but the trustees said the corporation should "strengthen" the station's appeal.

The BBC Trust review, which began nine months ago, looked at the performance of the two stations and looked at quality and value for money.

It said Radio 2 needed to be more "distinctive" and need to be more ambitious in its "non-music" programmes in peak-time.

The station targets over 35s with 82 per cent of its audience within that age range with the average audience member of 50.

The Trust said Radio 2 must do "more to target those over 65 years of age".