Ken Bruce claims that the BBC passed up the opportunity to copyright PopMaster before turning down his offer for a TV version of the quiz.
The Greatest Hits Radio DJ, 72, departed the BBC earlier this year after working there since the 1980s, bringing the iconic pop music quiz with him.
PopMaster, which has been a fixture of his morning radio programme since the late 1990s, sets two competitors against one other to test their knowledge of pop music.
The game has featured everything from celebrity visitors to marriage proposals throughout the years, and it was relocated to Greatest Hits Radio after Ken’s departure.
With the quiz’s copyright secured, he has brought PopMaster into the realm of television, with a fresh new six-part series premiering on More4.
Ken had pitched the concept of a TV version of PopMaster to the BBC, only to have the idea rejected and the opportunity to secure the rights passed up.
Speaking to i, the Scottish radio DJ said: ‘I asked somebody within the BBC if they wished to come in and protect [the PopMaster name].’
He continued: ‘They said, “Nah, you’re alright, I don’t think we want to get involved in doing that.” So I went to the trademark office and trademarked it.’
‘I’ve still got the patent,’ he added. ‘I kept renewing it and I’m delighted that we’re able to keep using it in this way. There wasn’t any massive legal battle.’
His remarks come as excitement grows for the More4 PopMaster series, which is due to premiere next Monday night (June 26) at 8 p.m.
When asked about the long wait for a TV version of the quiz, Ken stated that the prevalence of quizzes in the early 2000s would have precluded a ‘natural’ transfer from radio to TV.
‘We wanted to make it a friendly, warm experience,’ he explained, adding that ‘the planets [have] aligned and we all feel ready for it now.’
Ken joked after his transition to Greatest Hits Radio that he was’struggling’ with his new working hours because his new programme was significantly longer than on Radio 2.
Watch PopMaster TV on More4.
