Paul Gambaccini blamed the presenters ' obsession with discussing the sex appeal of pop stars for a slump in ratings . It has been a staple of Sunday night listening for almost 50 years – but now Radio 1 's Chart Show has been branded a 'banal failure ' by one of the most respected voices in broadcasting . Veteran presenter Paul Gambaccini has blasted the BBC for destroying the Top 40 show by employing 'ignorant ' DJs who are more interested in giving vacuous opinions than playing the records . Gambaccini , a respected rock historian , blamed the presenters ' obsession with discussing the sex appeal of pop stars for a slump in ratings . The 66-year-old said : 'It is no wonder the Chart Show is a complete failure because it has not accomplished what it was set out to be . It is the news of popular music and , if it is to have any integrity , it should be an objective show . You would n't expect Huw Edwards to give his opinion on the news he is reading or to suddenly say 'Is n't Hillary Clinton fit ? ' The Chart Show has become an extension of its presenter 's personality rather than an objective programme . ' Gambaccini , a former Radio 1 DJ himself , said he was particularly annoyed about last week 's show when host Clara Amfo appeared to dismiss superstar Paul Simon , who had just topped the album charts at the age of 73 . The 29-year-old made a passing reference to the star 's No 1 album , The Ultimate Collection , before telling listeners to 'ask your dad ' . Gambaccini said : 'To me that is an ignorant attitude . You do n't disrespect the No 1 album , regardless of who it 's by . 'What is the point of saying this is the Top 5 and not playing any of them ? That is really stupid . No 1 is No 1 . If you do n't wish to be authoritative any more you might as well stop . Do n't pretend you are important when you are not . ' 'Paul Simon has just sold out the O2 with Sting . We are talking about a current major figure in popular music . These are people who will be enjoyed long after our lifetimes as we know and enjoy Beethoven . ' The Chart Show has had a presence on Sunday nights in one form or another since the days of Alan 'Fluff ' Freeman when Radio 1 launched in 1967 . The current version has seen its audience dwindle from a peak of four million in the early 1980s to about 1.2 million . It will end in July , when the chart rundown will become part of Greg James 's Friday drivetime show , to reflect changes in the music industry . Gambaccini , who recently returned to Radio 2 after being cleared over historic sex abuse claims , said : ' I wish Greg James well but it will never have the impact being a feature of his programme that it had on a Sunday . ' The BBC said : 'The Chart Show is an entertainment programme and as such our DJs present the countdown in a way that is engaging and relevant to our young audience . ' In February , Radio 1 was at the centre of another ageism storm after The Mail on Sunday revealed Madonna had been dropped from the playlist . Gambaccini , a former Radio 1 DJ himself , said he was particularly annoyed about last week 's show when host Clara Amfo ( pictured ) appeared to dismiss superstar Paul Simon .
Paul Gambaccini has blasted the BBC for destroying the Top 40 show . The presenter said he was 'devastated' by the decision to axe his show.