Radio legend Diddy David Hamilton is celebrating after winning a ‘David and Goliath’ battle with the BBC.

DJ David, who worked for the BBC for 25 years, is now a presenter on Boom Radio which was launched four years ago to appeal to the golden oldie ‘baby boomer’ generation.

It has since become the UK’s fastest growing commercial station and David broadcasts daily for it from a studio at his farmhouse home near Horsham.

But he and fellow Boom presenters were incensed when the BBC announced ‘copycat’ plans earlier this year for a new digital service – Radio 2 Extra – as a rip-off of Boom Radio’s successful format.

Boom Radio DJ Diddy David Hamilton is celebrating after Ofcom turned down proposals by the BBC to launch a copy-cat radio station

placeholder image — Boom Radio DJ Diddy David Hamilton is celebrating after Ofcom turned down proposals by the BBC to launch a copy-cat radio station

“Boom Radio was set up on a low budget with everyone working from home,” said David. “Our budget is something like one per cent of the BBC who are funded by licence payers’ money.”

He said it was extraordinary that the BBC had got rid of lots of its older presenters, along with ‘older’ music and began chasing a younger audience – then had done an about-turn and had wanted to win back older listeners with their plans for a copy-cat Boom Radio-style station.

Now, however the BBC’s plans have been halted. Communications services regulator Ofcom has chucked out the BBC’s proposals, ruling them unfair.

And DJ David, along with colleagues and bosses at Boom Radio are delighted. David and wife Dreena cracked open the Champagne. “It feels like a victory. The BBC were going to waste their money on something people didn’t want or need anymore.

"We have had so many thousands saying they would never go back to the BBC,” said David. “It’s a generation that listens to the radio a lot – more than young people do.”