No Rock And Roll Fun

DUCK Andi Peters, the former human half of a double act with Edd the Duck, is seizing control of Top of the Pops by rejoining the BBC to become Executive Producer (Popular Music), parachuting him into the chair at the top of Ver Pop's table. Chris Cowey, meanwhile, the man credited with "saving" the show by constantly fiddling with the format and diluting it with every new trick, has decided strangely simultaneously to leave the BBC. Lets hope he takes the Star Bar with him.

Peters' remit at the BBC seems to be to be in charge of "tunes the young people might like" and at least he hassome links with TOTP - he presented it a few times when the show was being harried along the route of "if it's for children, let's have children's presenters on it." And Peters' T4 has shown a commitment to music beyond the bleeding obvious. But we're concerned that 'popular music' (covering Glastonbury and Later with Jools as well) is being seen as synomous with teenagers, and we're also a little bit dubious how the Executive Producer of TOTP is going to be allowed to continue co-presenting the Hit Music Sunday Show on Capital, a show that's based on a totally different chart to the one used by the BBC. Is it possible for a man to believe that The Only Chart That Counts varies depending on which day of the week it is?

Edd The Duck is currently head of New Media for Carlton.