BBC Radio 2 has lost one million listeners following Ken Bruce's departure earlier this year which sparked backlash after several older presenters were replaced with younger DJs.
Figures show the station fell from 14.5m listeners at start of year to 13.5m from March until June.
The 72-year-old presenter, who best known for presenting his mid-morning BBC Radio 2 show from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2023, signed off from the show in March this year.
According to Rajar, the UK's radio audience measurement body, in the wake of his departure, the station dropped from 14.5 million listeners in the first three months of 2023.
It comes after the BBC found itself involved in an ageism row following the axing of older presenters including Steve Wright, Craig Charles and the late Paul O'Grady
PA
It comes after the BBC found itself involved in an ageism row following the axing of older presenters including Steve Wright, Craig Charles and the late Paul O'Grady.
A group of "Radio 2 refugees" have now abandoned the station for commercial rivals that play more hits from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
While Radio 2 remains the most listened to station in the UK, the huge drop in listeners coincides with the veteran broadcaster's departure from the BBC.
Bruce was taken off air two weeks before the end of his contract and later said he felt he had been taken for granted by BBC bosses.
"I probably wanted to prove a few things to myself, and maybe to some other people, about my worth on Radio 2," he told Radio Times earlier this year.
"There were times when I felt I wasn't really noticed by either the BBC itself or some listeners. So I thought, 'I'm going to make these people appreciate me.
"And having done that to my satisfaction, I felt it was time to give myself a little challenge, try something different, rather than become stale and wait for the axe."
The presenter's slot was temporarily filled by BBC DJ Gary Davis, before broadcaster Vernon Kay took over permanently.
The presenter's slot was temporarily filled by BBC DJ Gary Davis, before broadcaster Vernon Kay took over permanently
PA
The replacement led to BBC bosses being accused of choosing "younger, cheaper" TV stars over its veteran DJs.
"Vernon's agents would have used Ken's salary as a starting point but would probably have been negotiated down to £250,000 to £300,000, reflecting that he's much less experienced than Ken.
"He is younger and probably cheaper," a senior radio source told the MailOnline.
The most recent listener ratings also revealed that BBC 2's Breakfast Show with Zoe Ball has also had a dip in listeners, with 560,000 people turning off since March, down to 6.7 million from 7.26 million.
