Pop star Madonna has called Radio 1 “discriminatory and unfair” after it declined to play her latest single.
Living For Love failed to make the station’s playlist, which dictates its most-played songs, when it was released last month, leading to accusations of ageism from the 56-year-old’s fans.
Speaking to The Sun, Madonna said she was “shocked” by her exclusion.
“I was like, ‘Wait a second. Shouldn’t it be to do with whether you wrote a good, catchy pop song?”
Radio 1 says Madonna’s age had nothing to do with its decision, saying it chooses songs on “musical merit and their relevance to our young audience on a case-by-case basis”.
“An artist’s age is never a factor,” it said in a statement.
However, BBC News has learned that the station turned its back on Madonna long before Living For Love was released.
Speaking at a Radio Academy event last year, Radio 1’s 49-year-old head of music, George Ergatoudis, said the station had “moved on” from her music.
Ergatoudis, who chairs the weekly playlist meetings, had been asked whether he would play Madonna’s next single if she agreed to appear at Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival.
In response, he said: “The BBC Trust have asked us to go after a young audience. We’ve got to concentrate on [people aged] 15-30. We have to bring our average age down. That’s something we’re very conscious of.
“The vast majority of people who like Madonna, who like her music now, are over 30 and frankly, we’ve moved on from Madonna.”
Source-BBC
