BBC must now show faith in music: folding such a strong music brand raises questions about the BBC's music strategy.

We have all known for some time that Top Of The Pops was going through a tough time. But the BBC's ultimate decision to scrap what is one of the British television's most enduring brands still comes as a huge shock.

Alongside Coronation Street, Match Of The Day and Doctor Who, TOTP was one of the few brands remaining from the formative days of modern television in the Sixties.

The greatest surprise is that the BBC has taken the decision to axe the show completely and without consulting the music industry. Dumping such a hugely powerful brand is a highly significant step to take and one which will be difficult to reverse.

Of course, it is easy to be wise after the event. But it is clear that the BBC has failed to evolve the show in line with the changing digital media environment. In turn, while the BBC has tried tinkering with TOTP's format, it has simply not been bold enough.

Other, apparently redundant, formats have been revitalised before, turned from ratings disasters into compelling shows in tune with a modern audience--Doctor Who and Top Gear, for example. The same could have been true of TOTP.

It would not have been too huge a leap to shift the show onto a digital channel such as BBC3, where it could have developed a new identity, out of the glare of the terrestrial spotlight.

Alternatively, the show could have been "rested" for a few months, re-emerging later in a new form--the power of the brand remaining intact, but ...