| CMU Daily - on the inside Monday 15th October |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Snocap on the rocks?
- EMI appoint Consumer Development Director
- Bank Of America on Madonna deal
- More P Diddy assault allegations
- TI arrested ahead of BET awards
- BET awards carry on regardless
- Another Foxy fracas over prison bus
- Doherty seven weeks clean
- Boney M gig helps try to bring peace in Georgia
- Single Review: Free Blood - EP1
- New Nada Surf
- Free Bass opt for guest vocals
- BPI announce synced up mission to US
- Covermount row takes off in Belgium
- New Ray Davies available via Sunday Times
- Universal considering industry owned download venture
- Should record labels adopt the VC mentality
- Smiths profits up as music sales go down
- SUBtv launch new music service
- More EMAP takeover nonsense
- GCap get digital licence for Northamptonshire
- Chart update
- Total Rock world album chart
- Pharrell doesn't like Britney questions, OK?
- Concerns for Lily
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TOP BIT POLEMIC
So, I had a spare 47 minutes this weekend, which was nice, and something of a novelty these days. I invested those 47 minutes into watching some telly programmes on the old world wide web, which was interesting, for one main reason.
It seems the TV industry has been busy trawling YouTube, Veoh, Stage6 et al and demanding their content be removed from these illegitimate video platforms (presumably they all found TV-links.co.uk, which will certainly make copyright violation spotting much easier for those telly chief types). Whole hosts of shows which have been available to stream in full, on demand, at any time, for months now, via all those YouTube clones, have been taken down.
This is interesting because I think what we are in the process of seeing is the TV industry make all of the same mistakes as the music industry in the online domain. Which is fun, for us. Though a bit stupid, for them.
As much reported and ranted on here, the last ten years have seen the record industry do everything it can to stop internet start ups, legit or otherwise, from distributing its music, mainly by throwing millions of pounds of their shareholder's cash at expensive digital rights management technology and expensive litigation against individual music fans, both of which have failed, simply wasting money, damaging reputations and taking up valuable time that could have been spent reinventing their businesses to cope with and profit from the new threats and opportunities of this digital age. Ten years on record companies are investing more time in those opportunities, and less in pointless DRM and litigation. This is a good thing.
It's a shame, then, that the TV industry is in danger of making similar mistakes. Yes, it is annoying when new websites launch distributing your content without permission. Yes, it is frustrating when these websites are much more popular than anything you try to launch yourself in the same space. And yes, it is frightening when these new websites force you to throw out the business model that has served you well for the last fifty years and make you find new ways of making money. But at least the TV industry has the advantage that it is already an advertising driven industry, as is the internet, plus it has the benefit of being able to learn from the record industry, who have been through all this already.
But with the TV firms spending their time and money on lawyers to force video sharing sites to remove their content, and with their insistence of entering into deals with the bigger of those sites which mean online viewers get a less good deal (ie trailers and clips rather than full programmes), and with their tendency to launch DRM heavy less user friendly services of their own, I can't help thinking the TV industry hasn't spent all that much time looking at what happened to the record industry.
So, TV bosses, and all those with interests in TV content, here's my advice. Resist the distribution of content online and the kids will go and find what they want from those illegal P2P networks that are not interested in sharing ad revenues. As the record labels will tell you, you might not want to do deals with the video sites, but in the long run you're going to have to. So, might as well do the deals now, and save yourself the cost of all that litigation and DRM.
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JOBS N STUFF
AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FIRM
Brunswick Arts creates media campaigns for clients in the arts - including theatre, visual arts, opera, and ballet - and charitable organisations. We are looking to appoint two senior communicators to our UK team, based in London. Candidates must have a thorough understanding of the arts and experience in generating media coverage. A natural networker with enthusiasm and drive, you will be a creative thinker with original ideas for campaigns and new business. Experience of managing teams and budgets is also required. Fluency in a European language is advantageous but not essential.
To apply please send your CV quoting reference SS01/02
to: jobs@graduatejobsnetwork.com
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INTERNSHIPS N STUFF
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITH EXCITING NEW INTERNET PROJECT
GraduateJobsNetwork is a new kind of careers and media company which offers gap-year students and recent graduates a unique way to launch their careers by working on the definitive graduate careers website. We are now recruiting students and recent graduates for a variety of internship programmes between now and Christmas, some full time, some part time. Among the experience you will gain is the following...
Editorial: researching and writing interviews and stories; sub-editing; Apple Mac skills.
Web & Design: operating a content management system; search engine optimisation; image processing; desktop publishing skills.
Sales & Management: running a media company; brainstorming sales leads; building a sales database.
Office Management: managing a company database; chasing payments; keeping accounts.
Marketing: writing press releases; making and phoning PR contacts; liaising with student media.
You will not be paid, but will receive a reference when you complete the programme, and will also have careers guidance from Taylor Bennett, a leading headhunting firm, including CV writing, job interview techniques and networking skills. We are based in Shoreditch, on the edge of the City of London and within easy reach of Spitalfields and Hoxton. The office is 10 minutes away from both Liverpool Street and Old Street stations.
To apply, fill in an application form at http://graduatejobsnetwork.com/gjnappforma.doc and submit it together with your CV as soon as possible to applications@graduatejobsnetwork.com
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SNOCAP ON THE ROCKS?
Hmm, I'm no expert, well, only a self-appointed expert, but either way, I don't think things are looking all that good over at Snocap, the digital music firm founded by original Napster creator Shawn Fanning. They've just confirmed they are laying off 60% of their staff for starters, which can't be brilliant news. Meanwhile, it looks like the firm's owners are looking to sell their stakes in the company.
As I'm pretty sure we've reported here on plenty of occasions previously, Fanning originally launched Snocap to provide services to the then-slowly-emerging legit P2P sector, he having done some work to try and create a legit royalty-paying P2P network within the original Napster company - before the record industry bankrupted it.
A legit P2P service needs technology which tracks what music is being shared, and Snocap proposed to provide that service. Things got off to a good start when the record companies, despite past differences with Fanning, signed up to Snocap - saying they endorsed the company's system for tracking their music. Then one of the legit P2P services in the making, Mashboxx, said it would use Snocap's technology to track music being shared via its in-development P2P network, which would enable them to pass royalties back to record labels whose music was shared via the system.
So far so good, except that the whole legit P2P thing, Mashboxx included, has taken a lot longer to get off the ground than many expected, leading some to speculate it never will.
With that in mind Snocap started to diversify, most notably by becoming another provider of back-end iTunes style download services, and most most notably by securing the rights to provide the official download capabilities to MySpace Music pages. But that too has not taken off as rapidly as most expected it would. Only 175,000 users have reportedly registered for a MyStore account, needed to use the Snocap enabled MySpace download system, and only 80,000 bands are offering music that way. This aint great when you bear in mind MySpace has 100 million members and millions of artists signed up.
However, Snocap say the MySpace service is developing as expected, and they are providing services to another social networking site, Imeem, plus other digital music sites, and a spokesperson said on Friday the jobs cut will not affect those ventures. Nevertheless, such large cut backs are making some speculate that the end is near for the digital music service provider, which has seemingly never quite found its cash cow product during its five year life.
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EMI APPOINT CONSUMER DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Following all that speculation as to senior appointments at the US division of the all new EMI last week, in the end it was a new recruit at the major's London HQ that was announced, though it was an appointment that continued the trend already set by new owners Terra Firma of appointing top execs from outside the music biz.
The new guy is Mark Hodgkinson, formerly CEO of personal finance outfit Virgin Money, who has been appointed Consumer Development Director, whatever that means. He will also sit on the major's investor and music management boards.
Confirming the appointment, Guy Hands of EMI owners Terra Firma told reporters: "Mark's time at Virgin brings a strong consumer focused approach and notable success in the digital space. We believe Mark's experience and leadership skills will prove a valuable addition to the team at EMI".
Hodgkinson responded thus: "I am delighted to join EMI. After seven years with Virgin I was ready for a new challenge and look forward to applying my experience to ensure that EMI has a strong consumer focus and benefits fully from the growth potential offered by digital channels".
With all that talk of digital in those statements there it is perhaps not surprising to hear that in his new role as Consumer Development Director Hodgkinson will be working closely with EMI's Head Of Digital Barney Wragg.
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BANK OF AMERICA ON MADONNA DEAL
The Bank Of America has said it would be foolish of Warner Music to try and compete with the $120 million Live Nation is reportedly offering Madonna for a ten year 360 degree deal which would see the live music conglom take on Madge's recording and merchandising as well as her touring.
The deal, which has been rumoured for a while but which the Wall Street Journal last week said was now imminent, would be a PR coup for Live Nation as it would see them entering the recorded music space through one of the world's biggest artists. But, while Madonna ending her career-long recording relationship with Warner Music would be a definite PR knock for the major, the Bank Of America says that the actual impact on the company would not be as high as some are saying, and certainly not worth paying more than $120 million to avoid, even if the record company did get a share of merchandise and touring revenues. Madonna is known to have been discussing a similar 360 deal with Warner, but commentators speculate that the Live Nation deal is now more likely to go ahead, and the Bank says the major shouldn't try to compete with the live music firm.
The Bank has described the Live Nation deal as "more of a bold statement by [the live music firm] that it wants to quickly get deep in the music business, and less an example of Warner Music's inability to close a good deal". They add that competing with Live Nation would see Warner overpaying an artist "that does not seem to be generating the revenue to support the contract being discussed".
With all that in mind, the Bank has maintained its buy rating for Warner's shares despite the expectation they are about to lose one of their highest profile artists (though, as previously reported, she is still to deliver one more album for the major).
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MORE P DIDDY ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
Hey, the lawsuits and allegations are certainly mounting up against old P Diddy/Seany Combs of late. Following a lawsuit last week over allegations he reneged on a deal to buy a Notorious BIG recording, and another accusing his bodyguards of beating up a music promoter in a New York club, and that ongoing case in which one Gerald Rechnitzer accuses Diddy of an unprovoked attack outside a Hollywood venue, reports this morning that police are investigating allegations the hip hopper assaulted an acquaintance after a dispute over a woman, again at a New York night club.
According to the New York Post, the incident took place at New York's Kiosk nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning. The hip hop chief reportedly threw a "one-two" combination (excuse the technical terminology) at one Steven Acevedo during the second of two arguments between the two men at the club, leaving Acevedo with a bleeding nose and swollen lip. When Acevedo went to retaliate he claims he saw one of Combs' bodyguards seemingly reach "under his waist" as if to pull a gun, at which point he somewhat sensibly ran away, contacting police from home.
New York Police are reportedly looking a CCTV footage from the club and have contacted the hip hopper regarding getting an official statement, though it should be said no formal charges have been made as yet.
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TI ARRESTED AHEAD OF BET AWARDS
This one, however, does involve formal charges. Rapper TI has been arrested just hours before the hip hop awards being staged by US TV network BET this weekend over allegations he possessed a number of illegal weapons. Reports say police found three illegal firearms when searching his car, one of them loaded, and that they found six more during a search of his Atlanta home, five of them loaded. That's a lot of guns. The rapper's bodyguard has reportedly admitted to buying the guns for his boss, who allegedly supplied good old fashioned cash for their purchase. TI is yet to comment on the charges, though if he is found guilty the ramifications could be worse given he already has a criminal record, meaning he will also be charged for 'possession of firearms by a convicted felon'.
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BET AWARDS CARRY ON REGARDLESS
The arrest meant TI was unable to attend the BET Hip Hop Awards where he was up for nine awards, and where he won two, including CD Of The Year for 'TI vs TIP'. The same prize also went to rapper Common, him for his long player 'Finding Forever', and on collecting his prize he made reference to his incarcerated co-winner, telling the awards show: "I salute my guy TI, who also won, wherever he is".
KRS One, who won an Icon Award at the event, also commented on TI's arrest, saying: "I'm saddened anytime I hear of a hip-hopper being locked up or somehow stunted in his life or his growth. I hope he wasn't into nothing crazy". TI had also been due to perform his track 'You Know What It Is' at the event, but Wyclef Jean, who guests on song, performed it instead, with awards show host Katt Williams, dressed up as TI, dancing in a hip hop fashion in the background.
Elsewhere at the awards Kanye West, who has a history of telling awards organisers they got something wrong for not bigging him up, went the other way by saying that the Best Hip Hop Video prize, which went to him for his track 'Stronger', should have gone to UGK and Outkast for the video to 'International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)'. So much so he insisted on handing over the award to Outkast's Big Boi, though he wouldn't take it, insisting West's video was good too. West also took the award for Best Live Performance, though he didn't try and give that one away.
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ANOTHER FOXY FRACAS OVER PRISON BUS
Back to hip hop crimes, and the never-easy-to-handle Foxy Brown isn't likely to win any favours from officials in relation to her current jail term - which, as previously reported, came as a result of probation violations - after she twice refused to board a prison bus on Friday in a bid to get to a scheduled court date. The rapper seemingly wanted he own personal transport to get her from jail to the court house, something the authorities were not willing to provide. The court hearing has now been rescheduled to Tuesday and Brown, real name Inga Marchand of course, faces being handcuffed and forced onto the prison authority's bus if she doesn't comply this time. Still, keeps Marchand in the news ahead of the November release of her new album 'Brooklyn's Don Diva'.
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DOHERTY SEVEN WEEKS CLEAN
Pete Doherty says he's been off the old drugs for seven weeks now, which possibly explains why [a] he's put on a few pounds and [b] his lacklustre gig this weekend didn't impress some of the Babyshambles faithful (but hey, he turned up).
Doherty discussed his current attempts at rehab to Radio 4's Junkies Weekly, or Front Row, some show, and revealed: "In the last eight years, I've never been that long without drugs. I'm not going to lie and say it's not a struggle, because it is. But in a way, I'm quite proud to be able to admit it, particularly for my mum and dad. I'm quietly confident, but there's an underdog feeling about it still. These last few months have been a turning point".
Let's hope he does manage to kick the hard stuff this time [a] for his aforementioned Mum and Dad, the latter of whom he is talking to again after three years of feuding, [b] so his case looks good when he goes back to court on 26 Oct to face those ongoing drugs charges, and [c] so he's less likely to die on us. Whether a clean living Doherty will have the same appeal to those Babyshambles faithful long term remains to be seen.
Talking about his reconciliation with his father, which was brought about by 'family therapy' which was part of his most recent rehab programme, Pete continued: "My dad has welcomed me back into the fold. I can actually go home, I can actually talk to him. He came in for some family therapy, which is a miracle in itself. It was an emotional time, to be honest."
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BONEY M GIG HELPS TRY TO BRING PEACE IN GEORGIA
Lots of rock stars have been associated with campaigns for world peace over the years, but former Boney M singer Marcia Barrett has been doing some frontline peace work by performing a concert in a village in the South Ossetia part of Georgia (the country not the US state) where there has been much violence in recent times as rebels fight for independence. Georgian authorities asked Barrett to play the concert in a small frontline village near the rebel's stronghold of Tskhinvali in a bid to bring together rival communities, and thousands of locals reportedly attended the gig.
Speaking before the event, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili told the BBC: "We hope that we'll lure out people from their trenches, force them to drop [their] Kalashnikovs, come here and dance with the others and understand that nothing is as nice as peace, nothing is as nice as reconciliation. This place was only famous for killings, violence, crime past and present. And now it's like adding some new thing, it's looking much more colourful, much less violent, just normal, and being normal is such a novelty here".
Given her musical heritage (let us not forget the history class pop song that is 'Rasputin'), you might think Barrett had some connections with the war torn area of the former Soviet Union, but she doesn't and she admits she doesn't know a huge amount about the area or its current political situation. She told the Beeb she was doing the gig because: "It's a peace festival I really feel honoured to be invited to come and take part".
It should be noted Boney M have long had a following in the former USSR, with their songs being among the few approved under the old Communist rule, and the peace gig in South Ossetia was billed as a Boney M gig, which in itself isn't without controversy given that no other members of Boney M were involved, and some would say Barrett's band mate Liz Mitchell, who was the main vocalist, has more claim to perform under the name. Though, given the circumstances of this gig, I'm not sure such band name disputes are worthy of consideration.
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SINGLE REVIEW: Free Blood - EP1 (ACTH Recordings)
Free Blood comprise John Pugh and Madeline Davy, the former being the erstwhile drummer with !!!; the latter an uber-hip New York fashion designer. It's a combination so trendy just mentioning their name in the right circles will instantly improve your hipness by a factor of....oooh....at least one. Anyway. The imaginatively-titled 'EP1' is not half as good as thinks it is, but it's at least twice as good as anything else released this week (and that's a scientific fact - we measured it with a special device and everything).
Pugh describes the EP as "like a stripped down mix of Outkast and the Shangri Las", though I think he must have been listening to something else when he came to that conclusion. Actually I can see what he's getting at. There's an organic retro-feel amid the scattershot drums, manic vocals and maniacal electronic fizz. It's as if Free Blood went looking for a sound somewhere between p-funk and punk funk but ended up somewhere else entirely. On the remix front, Hot Chip tighten 'Quick And Painful' up a bit, sticking the track in a vice whilst they have hours of fun quite literally pressing buttons marked 'funny noise'. The ACTH take on 'Never Hear Surf Music Again' is even better: a strobed-up progressive monster with cascading synths and mammoth, chugging beats.
An interesting debut. MS
Release date: 15 Oct
Press contact: Toast [CP, RP, NP] Peer Music Group [CR, RR, NR] Bang On [O]
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NEW NADA SURF
The rather fine Nada Surf will release their fifth album 'Lucky' on City Slang next year, in early February to be precise. Co-produced by the band and John Goodmanson (who's produced for the likes of Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Redhead and Sleater-Kinney) it was recorded in Seattle and, for fans of tracklistings, the provisional tracklisting is below. The band expect to tour here in the UK around the time of the release.
Weightless
Whose Authority
Beautiful Beat
Here Goes Something
From Now On
I Like What You Say
Ice on the Wing
The Film Did Not Go 'Round
The Fox
Are You Lightning?
See These Bones
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FREE BASS OPT FOR GUEST VOCALS
More on the previously reported bass heavy supergroup project involving bass players Peter Hook (New Order), Mike Rourke (The Smiths) and Mani (Primal Scream/Stone Roses). As previously reported, the band, to be called Free Bass, were looking for a frontman, but the trio has now decided, instead, to have superstar guests on vocals rather than a full time lead singer. And they've reportedly already recruited Mani's former bandmate Ian Brown, plus Liam Gallagher and Ian Mcculloch (he of Echo & The Bunnymen) to sing on certain tracks. Specifics about what we can expect from the new supergroup and when are tbc.
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BPI ANNOUNCE SYNCED UP MISSION TO US
Following the news last week that the Association Of Independent Music is about to embark on its latest 'trade mission' to the US, that other UK record label trade body, the BPI, has announced it will stage its third annual 'synchronisation trade mission' to the US from 30 Oct to 2 Nov. Thirty UK music companies will go to the America to meet people working in the US film, telly and radio industries in a bid to persuade them to licence their music for their soundtracks - an increasingly lucrative revenue stream for record labels, and in the case of certain TV show soundtracks, a proven way to launch British talent in the States. The visit Stateside is supported by the British Government's UK Trade And Investment body.
Confirming the mission, BPI International Manager Matt Glover told CMU: "The US film, games and TV music supervisors are well aware that the UK music scene is leading creatively on the international stage; our music industry's first-class A&R skills complement the vast pool of musical talent that we have which is why music is one our country's most successful exports. By working in partnership with government we're able to put small UK music companies in direct contact with the key decision makers and this mission has an excellent track-record in terms of helping these companies to close lucrative deals".
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COVERMOUNT ROW TAKES OFF IN BELGIUM
Another covermount row, though this one is in Belgium, and has gone to a higher level than any of the covermount rows here because the Belgian Federation Of Distributors And Retailers has filed a complaint with the country's Federal Department Of Economic Affairs claiming one particular covermount promotion is against the law.
The promotion in question involved Belgian singer songwriter Sarah Bettens, who gave away her new album, 'Shine', with newspaper De Morgen this weekend. According to reports the promotion, arranged with Bettens' label Universal Music, almost doubled the paper's circulation.
But Belgium's retailers association says that the covermount promotion constitutes so called "coupled sales" which it says is forbidden under Belgian law. They are also criticising Universal for agreeing to the promotion at a time when, they say, labels and retailers should be collaborating to enhance traditional record sales.
But Universal Music Belgium's Marketing Director Niels Dierckx has defended the promotion, saying it is good for Betten and the wider music business, in the long term. Billboard quote him thus: "We get Sarah Bettens' music with the audience that is close to her way of life - people who read De Morgen. And we get access to a new audience potential, people that will become fans eventually. We also get huge media exposure with this campaign - it's not evident to get that kind of exposure with a local release".
A different version of the album including six live tracks is expected to be release via traditional routes on 10 Oct, assuming any retailers will stock it. When Prince released his new album here via the Mail On Sunday his label, SonyBMG, decided to not release a version via traditional routes after retailers let it be known they wouldn't stock it in protest at being cut out of the main release because of the Mail On Sunday deal.
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NEW RAY DAVIES AVAILABLE VIA SUNDAY TIMES
More covermounts, but back in the UK this time, and news that Ray Davies, formerly of the Kinks, of course, will release his next album, 'Workingman's Café', over here via a covermount deal with the Sunday Times. The V2 released album will be released as a ten tracker via the Sunday paper on 21 Oct, with a twelve track version available via record shops on 29 Oct.
Confirming the covermount, Davies told reporters last week that the alliance with the Times was "about reaching as many people as possible. I'm incredibly proud of this LP and am truly excited that 1.5 million copies will be distributed to people who'll hear it organically, the way it was intended. It's an exciting opportunity I couldn't resist".
No comment on that news from the UK retailers. They may be resolved to living with the new era of covermounts given that, unlike their Belgian counterparts, they can't claim any illegalities.
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UNIVERSAL CONSIDERING INDUSTRY OWNED DOWNLOAD VENTURE
Talking of retail, word has it that Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris is sounding out other players in the record industry about launching their own digital music service to rival iTunes.
Morris, of course, has reportedly resented Apple's dominance of the download space for a while now, and some reckon that is why he decided to offer Universal's catalogue DRM-free to Amazon for the launch on their new MP3s only download service, while refusing to offer DRM-free tracks to Apple.
While supporting Amazon in the pay as you download market, the new venture he is reportedly developing is a subscription based service - a digital music business model that some in the music business prefer, but which is yet to really take off, despite attempts by Napster, Real and others.
According to Business Week, Morris has rivals SonyBMG and Warner Music interested in the new venture, which would look to Microsoft or Sony to provide the technology, again sidelining Apple.
Of course it isn't the first time the major labels have collaborated on their own download ventures. Back in the day Universal and Sony launched Pressplay, while EMI and BMG launched the original MusicNet, neither of which achieved much before being sold off to provide the back end to the new Napster in the case of Pressplay and to become a third party back-end provider in the case of MusicNet.
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SHOULD RECORD LABELS ADOPT THE VC MENTALITY
Here's what journalist Andrew Orlowski has to say about Terra Firma chief Guy Hands' recent comments that EMI execs should start to think of themselves as "venture capitalists" in an interesting piece on The Register. Orlowski writes: "In our experience, acting like VCs means throwing money at hopeless dot.com start-ups - pick a card, any card! - while convincing the press that there's a New Economic Paradigm just around the corner... The trick lies in creating the demand - then making a sharp exit. They're really PR companies spending someone else's money... So the VC model is a lousy one for music: so long as sound recordings have value, record companies need artists they can milk for decades. Dead or alive, it doesn't really matter". I think that means he disagrees with Hands' remarks.
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SMITHS PROFITS UP AS MUSIC SALES GO DOWN
WH Smith has seen its profits rise following restructuring instigated by CEO Kate Swann, which is good news, except that key to that restructuring was reducing the prominence of music and DVD in the retailer's stores, so not so good news for the music industry. Profits were up from £44 million last year to £76 million this year. Entertainment sales were down 32%, though that's not surprising given the cut in stock in that domain. With overall profits up, expect further CD/DVD cuts.
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SUBTV LAUNCH NEW MUSIC SERVICE
Student union screen network SUBtv has announced it is launching a new website - that aims to discover and champion new music.
The company has acquired student based social networking site Univillage, which has always provided the facility for labels and artists to promote themselves to students through special band pages. That facility will be incorporated into a new SUBtv website which will also allow students to vote on their favourite bands. The most popular bands will be invited to record a session that will be broadcast via the SUBtv network of screens in students' unions all over the UK. Showcased bands might also be invited to play on tours promoted by students' union entertainments network uLive.
Confirming the new acquisition and online venture, SUBtv CEO Peter Miles told CMU: "The youth audience are avid music consumers, whether that be in a social or live environment, on
their ipod or mobile and especially online. Our new website empowers students by giving them the ability to back bands they want to see on tour and on the screens".
Univillage co-founder Henry Yates, who will become Commercial Director of SUBtv as part of the acquisition, added: "There is an excellent fit between SUBtv and Univillage. We have been working together for 6 months and the acquisition marks the fulfilment of our partnership".
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MORE EMAP TAKEOVER NONSENSE
Talking of media acquisitions, more on attempts by different media and private equity players to buy EMAP which, as previously reported, is up for sale. No one company is expected to buy the whole thing - rather the company's business publishing, consumer publishing and radio/TV divisions are expected to be bought by separate bidders.
The latest news is that private equity types Apax have teamed up with the owners of The Guardian to mount a bid for EMAP's especially profitable business publishing division, and the offer has made it through to the second round of the auction. The Apax/Guardian Media Group partnership comes despite GMG chairman Paul Myners previously airing concern about the growing power of private equity houses in UK business.
The two companies will face competition from another private equity concern, Cinven, who, as previously reported, are rumoured to be bidding for both the business and consumer publishing bits of EMAP.
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GCAP GET DIGITAL LICENCE FOR NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
GCap Media has won a new local digital radio multiplex for the Northamptonshire area. The new multiplex will soon offer nine new digital services in the area, including GCap's existing local station for Northamptonshire, Northants 96, and Gold, Xfm, Connect FM, Jack FM, UCB and the local BBC service. GCap beat rivals MuxCo to win the multiplex licence.
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CHART UPDATE
So, a double chart victory for those Sugababes this week, them topping both the singles and album chart. They stay atop the singles chart with 'About You Now', with Ida Coor and Fedde Le Grand also staying put at number 2 with 'Let Me Think About It'. The first new entry comes in at 5 from Hoosieres with 'Goodbye Mr A', then the newbies go: Elvis with 'A Big Hunk O Love' at 12, Freemasons and Bailey Tzuke with 'Uninvited' at 21, Samanda with 'Barbie Girl' at 26, Roison Murphy with 'Let Me Know' at 28, Biffy Clyro with 'Machines' at 29, Timbaland with 'Apologize' at 32, Wombats with 'Let's Dance To Joy Division' at 35 and Nicole Scherzinger with 'Baby Love' at 39.
Albums wise, as I say, Sugababes go in at one with their new one 'Change', beating Eric Clapton, whose hits package goes in at 2. Then the new entries go Jack Penate with 'Matinee' at 7, Ali Campbell with 'Running Free' at 9, Michael Buble with 'Call Me Irresponsible Special Edition' at 12, Aled Jones with 'Reason To Believe' at 15, Stevie Wonder with 'Number Ones' at 23, Leann Rimes with 'Family' at 31 and Alter Bridge with 'Blackbird' at 37.
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TOTAL ROCK WORLD ALBUM CHART
It's the Total Rock World Album Chart, as counted down on Total Rock over the weekend - http://www.totalrock.com. New entries and re-entries marked with a *.
1. Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight (Warner Bros)
2. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (SonyBMG)
3. HIM - Venus Doom (Warner Bros)
4. Daughtry - Daughtry (SonyBMG)
5. Nickelback - All The Right Reasons (Warner/Roadrunner)
6. Korn - Untitled (EMI/Virgin)
7. Bon Jovi - Lost Highway (Universal/Mercury)
8. Down - Down III: Over The Under (Warner/Roadrunner)*
9. Arch Enemy - Rise Of The Tyrants (Century Media)*
10. Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor (Warner/Roadrunner)
11. 30 Seconds To Mars - A Beautiful Lie (EMI/Virgin)
12. T Rex - Greatest Hits 1972-1977 (Universal/Polygram)
13. Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild OST (SonyBMG Columbia)
14. Paramore - Riot! (Warner/Atlantic)
15. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (Nuclear Blast)*
16. Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (SonyBMG/Epic)
17. Velvet Revolver - Libertad (SonyBMG)
18. Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High (Universal/Island)
19. Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me (Epitaph)
20. Good Charlotte - Good Morning, Revival (SonyBMG/Columbia)*
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PHARRELL DOESN'T LIKE BRITNEY QUESTIONS, OK?
Pharrell Williams has apologised to an Irish TV presenter after getting "stroppy" after being asked questions about Britney Spears. TV3's Karen Koster, questioning the superstar producer for the Xpose show as he arrived at the Paramount Studios in LA, asked the star if he'd work with Spears again in light of all her recent dramas. Williams didn't take well to being asked a Britney question, and reportedly started ranting at the presenter, and had to be pulled away by his PR people. But later he returned to find Koster, to apologise for his outburst, and to answer more questions. Which is nice.
Koster told reporters: "He was pretty annoyed when I asked the Britney question but then he softened a bit. Later I thought we were all done, but he comes over, places his hand on my back and says that he still felt bad".
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CONCERNS FOR LILY
Talking of Britney, gossipers are gossiping that lovely Lily Allen could be following in the footsteps of old Britters after friends apparently expressed concerns that the singer is doing far too much partying after splitting from longterm boyfriend Seb Chew last month. Allen sacked her management company last week, as previously reported, and new reports say she has now sacked her accountants and booking agent, which all suggests, some say, that she's going a bit loopy. Friends are also quoted in the press as being concerned about Allen's eating, claiming she has rapidly dropped from a size 14 to a size 10.
This is what one friend told the Sunday Mirror: "Seb was a stabilising influence on Lily. Since they broke up, she's been living it up. She's lost weight because she has been putting partying before eating. Her management were worried - then she axed them. She believes that she can make it alone. But she's living in cloud cuckoo land. Record execs had big plans for Lily to crack the US, but she pulled out of one tour because she was homesick. Then she lost her visa because of her boasts about taking drugs. Now she's on her own".
Actually this all sounds a bit worrying, I'm regretting making it an 'and finally' story. Let's hope it's all idle and unfounded tabloid rumour.
