Pet Shop Boys star Neil Tennant has accused the BBC of being “defeatist” by axing the Top of the Pops.

The popular music chart show was cancelled in 2006, but has been returned in recent months in the form of one-off specials.

However, Tennant said the broadcaster was denying new acts the chance to celebrate their chart glory by not airing the show on a weekly basis.

“Like if JLS are number one on Sunday, they won't have that great moment of being crowned that week's Kings Of Pop,” the singer said.

In an interview with the BBC, Tennant also said it was it was the responsibility of the broadcaster to keep its “astonishing archive” of musical footage going.

"[That is] why we like the BBC, because they do things that should be done but don't always make complete commercial sense,” he said.

There have been widespread calls for Top of the Pops to return on a permanent basis in the absence of a chart programme on terrestrial television.

The recent Christmas, New Year's Eve and Comic Relief specials all attracted over four million viewers each.

But Andy Parfitt, the BBC's music controller, warned recently that, although the show had a “mythical status” with the public, viewers shouldn't “get hung up” on it.

(by Jason Gregory)