The station says the move will help artists like Paul Weller

The move is seen as the latest sign of trouble for the singles chart, which has suffered a sales slump and a crisis of credibility.

Radio 2, which has always played some album tracks, says they will now be heard more often.

That will help them support artists like David Gray, Paul Weller and Mark Knopfler whose singles do not always feature strongly in the chart.

Radio stations have traditionally based their schedules on hit singles, but the singles chart has come in for criticism for becoming dominated by teenage pop acts.

Radio 2 recently launched an album chart show to provide its own answer to the top 40 singles rundown on BBC Radio 1.

The station's head of programmes Lesley Douglas said she hoped the decision would persuade record labels to concentrate less on the sole aim of topping the singles chart.

'Greater support'

"We are further moving the balance of singles within the playlist to provide greater patronage for albums," she said.

"Over time, they will appear throughout the playlist which allows us to provide greater support of artists such as Turin Brakes, The Vessels, David Gray, Paul Weller and Mark Knopfler."

She told an industry conference that the station would provide a platform for artist development to "ensure longevity" and "build stars" by concentrating more on albums.

At the end of 2002, it was revealed that sales of singles in the UK had slumped to their lowest point for at least 10 years.