Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant has criticised the BBC for no longer broadcasting the iconic music programme 'Top Of The Pops'.

The musician said that new acts were missing out on that "great moment" of being crowned top of the charts.

The BBC said the show ended in 2006 because multimedia access meant it no longer played a central role in music.

TOTP was broadcast for 42 years before the BBC announced in 2006 that it was being axed. The show was first broadcast in 1964, from a converted church in Manchester.

"I don't see why Top Of The Pops isn't on," Tennant said. He added he thought as part of the BBC's public broadcasting, the corporation should be keeping its "astonishing archive" of musical footage up-to-date.

"(That is) why we like the BBC, because they do things that should be done but don't always make complete commercial sense."

The star, who has had hits with 'West End Girls' and 'Always On My Mind', said a former BBC employee who now works for ITV had told him why the show had to go.

"He explained to me at great length that the public aren't interested in music unless its heavily editorialised - by which he means X Factor. If you look back over the presentation of TOTP in the 90s, cynicism crept into the way it was presented. In the past, everything - the rubbish and the good stuff - was presented with enthusiasm. And I think its up to the public to make the taste decisions - not the DJs presenting."

In the past he said the programme was a good vehicle to champion new music.

Responding to Tennant's comments on Top Of The Pops, a BBC spokesman said there were no plans to bring back a weekly programme.

"'Top Of The Pops' was decommissioned in 2006 as it became clear that the ever increasing competition from multimedia and niche musical outlets meant it no longer occupied the central role it once did," he said.

Watch a 1985 episode of 'Top of the Pops' with Pet Shop Boys below: