[PJamo]

Maybe I'm misremembering, but wasn't it the case that when Susannah Reid decided to leave BBC Breakfast for GMB she was essentially put on gardening leave from the BBC until GMB started?  So there's precedent for gardening leave when a broadcaster leaves BBC to do the same job on a rival station, particularly when said broadcaster will be front and centre of the promotion of the rival product.

It's a bit different to e.g. Dan Walker leaving Breakfast for 5 News as that airs 8 hours after Breakfast finishes. 

Ultimately BBC have to protect 'the product' - it was never going to fly that Ken would sign off on Radio 2 on Friday and start GHR the following Monday with what sounds like a very similar show.

(I acknowledge that Susannah was on a break from Breakfast for the Strictly tour at the time the announcement was made, but there were several weeks between the tour ending and GMB starting when in ither circumstances she would have been back on the sofa.)