Top of the Pops has lost millions of viewers since its relaunch five months ago.
But the BBC insists the long-running show is not on death's door, even though it is now attracting fewer than three million viewers.
Friday's edition of Top of the Pops, presented by Tim Kash and featuring acts including Christina Milian and Lost Prophets, was watched by just 2.6 million viewers and attracted a 13% audience share between 7.30pm and 8pm, according to unofficial overnights.
Top of the Pops relaunched in late November with a 60-minute special that attracted 5.5 million viewers - a quarter of the audience. A week later, and back at 30 minutes long in the tough 7.30pm slot against Coronation Street, it was still watched by 4.3 million.
The audience for the relaunch show was no doubt boosted by appearances from Kylie Minogue, Victoria Beckham and Sir Elton John.
But Top of the Pops has been unable to maintain the ratings revival it achieved with its relaunch. In the past month the show has averaged 2.7 million viewers and a 13% audience share.
Back in November, prior to the TOTP relaunch, the show was averaging 4.1 million viewers and a 19% audience share. And in April last year the programme's audience across the month was 3.1 million.
The BBC head of entertainment, Wayne Garvie, said TOTP "felt like a big music show" and added that its audience reach - the number of people tuning in for at least five minutes - was fine, although he admitted the ratings were "not wonderful".
Mr Garvie said the BBC had already added Fearne Cotton to the show as a regular presenter to alternate with Kash.
"What's important is that the show looks and feels like a big music show. [Audience] reach is fine. The ratings are not wonderful - we'd like the figures to be better. But we're genuinely happy about how it's doing," he added.
"The show also depends on what music is around. At the moment there's not a lot of music out there that's breaking through to the mainstream. It's a problem for the music industry as well. In the autumn and at other times of the year it's better, so ratings will pick up."
For its relaunch Top of the Pops departed from a rigid adherence to the singles chart for the first time in its 40-year history.
As well as showcasing acts from the top 40, the show now features performances from artists whose records are being played on radio stations in advance of their release.
Andi Peters, the former children's TV presenter who oversaw the Top of the Pops revamp as executive editor of the BBC's music programmes, also brought in Kash from MTV to host the new-look show.
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