Ken Bruce has revealed the BBC turned down the opportunity to make PopMaster into a TV show.
Ken Bruce says BBC didn't want a PopMaster TV show
The 72-year-old DJ is bringing his beloved radio quiz to More4 later this year for a six-part series which will pit two music fans are pitted against each other to showcase their knowledge of songs and artists from across the years.
Ken co-created the quiz with radio producer Phil Swern for his Radio 2 show, and the former previously pitched turning the format into a television programme for the BBC but they weren't interested.
Speaking to The Lady magazine, Ken said: "It came as quite a surprise because we weren't looking for a television version, but Channel 4 came to us.
"Phil Swern got the approach. He had previously tried to sell the idea to BBC television, but got very little response. We know what we're doing, and once again Phil has written all the questions.
"It's a really steady format, though for TV it will be played over several rounds until we get to the final two contestants. Then it becomes classic PopMaster, just like on the radio."
Ken took PopMaster with him when he made the move to Greatest Hits Radio and it has proved to be as popular as ever.
His only frustration is when he knows a contestant is cheating live on-air.
He said: “I try not to sound as if I'm about to say they are cheating, but that's what I'm usually thinking. If somebody answers a question in an odd way, my eyes just go to the side and I look at the producer. We nod at each other as if to say, 'We know, we know.'
"It really doesn't happen that much, though when it does, PopMaster on Twitter goes wild. Then again, there are some people who really do know it all, and I can tell that they do because they answer in a natural way.”