In February this year, SMG broke off merger talks with Ulster TV (UTV), operator of TalkSport.

BBC: SMG had already warned profits would be lower

Scott Taunton, the managing director of Talksport's parent company UTV Media, said he welcomed the judgement.

BBC: Trust criticises BBC's FA Cup bid

After a year of aggressive competition from independent station talkSPORT, its share fell from 4.4% to 4.1%.

BBC: Wogan a winner for Radio 2

Talksport had complained about the BBC's successful bid last year to carry on providing commentary from FA Cup matches until 2012.

BBC: Trust criticises BBC's FA Cup bid

Commercial station TalkSport breached the three million barrier with 3.02 million listeners, up 3.4% on the previous quarter but down 3.6% year on year.

BBC: Record ratings for digital radio stations

But talkSPORT itself failed to show a rise - recording a loss of just under 100, 000 instead in its first year as an all-sports station.

BBC: Wogan a winner for Radio 2

They will have listened to him on TalkSport and they will have seen him confront the US Senate in one of YouTube's favourite ever political clips.

BBC: UK Politics

Gatland later told English radio station TalkSport that it was actually Wilkinson's decision not to join the Lions squad, because of the timing of the French season and his borderline fitness.

WSJ: Lions Reflect Welsh Success