Radio 1 pulls plug on the show that introduced Britpop

Radio 1's innovative music show the Evening Session, which established a reputation for breaking the careers of acts such as Oasis and the Strokes, is to leave the airwaves in December.

The BBC confirmed yesterday that the programme, which has become renowned for bringing fledgling talent to public attention, is to be scrapped.

The hugely popular show, which has won NME's Best Radio Show award several times, was presented by Mark Goodier when it began in 1991. Steve Lamacq took over in 1993 to co-host with Jo Whiley, who has since moved to a mid-morning show, and he has been the signature voice on the thrice-weekly slot for nine years. Lamacq will not leave the station, having recently signed a two-year contract. He will continue with his Lamacq Live magazine show on Monday evenings.

In an interview with NME, Lamacq said: "The reason the Evening Session first started was to give alternative music a push into the Top 40, which is probably as relevant now as it was then. I think the good thing is that it is going out on a high. Somebody told me the last audience figures showed it had gone up by between 100,000 and 200,000 people."

A session played by Oasis in April 1994 at the Tramway in Glasgow and broadcast by the Evening Session is considered to have launched the group's career, and Blur, Idlewild, Doves and the Vines are among bands thought to have benefited greatly from performing sets on the show.

The programme courted controversy in October 1997 when the Oasis members Liam and Noel Gallagher were interviewed live by Lamacq and began swearing. Liam stormed out after an argument with his brother on air.

A BBC spokesman said the show's departure was motivated by the desire to keep the schedule "fresh and relevant to the audience". He added: "The Evening Session has been an incredible show but the time has come for a change."

The move was condemned last night by some in the music industry for depriving exciting new acts of a platform.

John Harris, senior writer at Q music magazine, felt it was another step towards mainstream uniformity within the music industry. "The Evening Session has become a great place to listen to new music. It was the first place most listeners heard great 1990s bands like Oasis and it will just mean that innovation in music will be harder to access because they will not be given the airtime.

"Sadly, this is the way that music is going, becoming increasingly mainstream and homogenised. It's a terrible shame that people are denied new acts. Now we will have to actively seek out new talent rather than hear it on our radios three times a week."

He said the move was illogical at a time when the left-field, guitar rock music for which the the show was renowned was so commercially successful.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have their own Evening Session slots on Thursdays, whose futures have not been decided.