Ken Bruce’s PopMaster to air on weekend for first time in 26 years

Ken Bruce’s popular PopMaster quiz show will make its weekend debut for the first time in its 26-year history as part of sponsorship activity for car brand Dacia.

The 73-year-old’s show, which has a loyal fanbase thanks to the long-running quiz, attracted nearly a million new listeners for Greatest Hits Radio since moving to the Bauer brand a year ago from BBC Radio 2.

This weekend, to mark the launch of Dacia’s fully electric Spring model, Bauer is rolling out a campaign full of “game-changing” moments on Greatest Hits Radio in which the station will shake up its schedule.

Simon Mayo will feature on a Saturday afternoon, when he shares one of his “Confessions” with Richard Allinson; Jackie Brambles is swapping her weekday evenings for a Sunday afternoon when she appears on The Album Show.

Over the following weekends, listeners will also be able to hear new segments such as “Game Changers — Hall of Fame”, “Game Changers Countdown” and “Game Changers — The Award Winners”.

Bauer stablemates Magic Radio and Kiss are also part of the campaign and will encourage people to get outdoors in time for spring, offering a chance to win a year of outdoor adventures.

Kiss will run live reads in which talent will discuss sustainability and “changing things up to make a difference”, while Magic will “embrace the ease of use of the vehicle” for families and time spent outdoors.

Bruce said: “Twenty-six years in and PopMaster continues to surprise, and I’m really looking forward to hosting a weekend edition for the very first time.

“It’ll certainly be a game-changer for me as 10:30 on a weekend morning usually finds me pottering around at home, not at work. But there’s a first time for everything — even at my age!”

Greatest Hits Radio plays popular songs from the 1970s to the 1990s, targeting an audience aged 40-plus.