News Summary: 10th March 2010

March 10th, 2010 - 
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Fashion

Four weeks after Alexander McQueen’s death, the collection he had been working on was unveiled in Paris yesterday. This was the last ever collection by Lee Alexander McQueen, but it will not be the last collection to bear the Alexander McQueen name. A week after the designer’s death, it was announced that the label would continue. There has been no announcement as to who will replace McQueen.

A note given to each of yesterday’s audience read, ‘each piece is unique, as was he’. As the 16th outfit disappeared from the catwalk, the audience sat in silence, not yet ready for the spell to be broken. The sound of clapping began backstage, and spread. More in The Guardian HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Tech

Senior police officers have clashed with Facebook, accusing it of ignoring worrying trends that it is providing a safe haven for predatory paedophiles by refusing to sign up to a ‘panic button’ for children and young people. Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Unit (Ceop), was joined by the country’s lead officer on homicide to tackle the site about its repeated refusal to sign up to a key safety practice adopted by many other similar websites.

The American-owned site has 23 million active users in the UK but refuses to display an official ‘panic button’ that links users directly to Ceop to report suspected activities by predatory paedophiles. More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and Times HERE.

Music

A report commissioned by Universal Music Group on behalf of the British music industry trade body, the BPI, estimates that Virgin Media, Sky, O2, Orange, BT and TalkTalk could be making between £100 million and £200 million between them per year by 2013 if each of them launched their own music download service. The ISPs could generate approximately £100m per year in total by 2013 if there was only a ‘a medium adoption rate’ of music services (approximately 12,000 consumer sign-ups a month), but if there was an ‘accelerated adoption scenario’ – where 24,000 new subscribers joined each ISPs’ music service per month, the report estimates this revenue figure would double. BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said:

‘It is increasingly clear that it isn’t smart to be a ‘dumb [broadband] pipe’. This report shows that the revenue potential of digital music services alone makes sound economic sense for ISPs.’ More in The Telegraph HERE.

Pink Floyd took on their record label, EMI, in the High Court yesterday in a dispute over royalties for music downloads. Members of the band, one of EMI’s most successful since they signed in 1967, believe they have been underpaid and that the company should have asked permission to sell songs individually, rather than as complete albums. The dispute centres on a contract clause that says ‘there are no rights to sell any or all of the records as single records other than with [Pink Floyd’s] permission’. The band claims that this applies to their songs in all formats, including those sold online. EMI says it applies only to physical copies. More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE; and HERE.

Television

Writing in The Guardian HERE, Bob Geldoff accuses the BBC World Service of a ‘total collapse of standards and systems’, threatens it with legal action and calls for the sacking of the reporter behind the story, his editor and the head of the World Service, Peter Horrocks. Geldof and the Band Aid Trust are talking to some of the world’s biggest charities – including Oxfam, Unicef, the Red Cross, Christian Aid and Save the Children – about reporting the BBC to Ofcom and the BBC Trust. More in The Guardian HERE.

Samsung has kicked off the industry-wide push – and battle for brand supremacy – in 3D television by launching a 3D range that will be in British shops by the end of the month. More in The Guardian HERE. Sony in turn yesterday unveiled its 40in and 46in Bravia 3D television sets, saying they would launch in Japan on 10 June and around the world shortly after. More in The Independent HERE. Adam May, a producer with 3D producers and consultants Vision 3, says TV companies have started showing interest in making programmes in 3D; but that the big push to sell the sets will come this Christmas. More in The Guardian HERE.

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News Summary: 9th March 2010

March 9th, 2010 - 
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Libaries

‘The battle of Britain’s libraries’ is considered in The Guardian HERE, to include a look at the new £193m ‘super-library’ Library of Birmingham. Thanks to Dutch architects Mecanoo, the library will be a highly transparent glass building wrapped in delicate metal filigree, housing within its 33,500 sq m a few million books. It is a key component in the city’s bid to be the UK’s City of Culture in 2013 and should help fulfil the city council’s aim of putting Birmingham in the top 25 world cities by 2020, as ranked by the Mercer Quality of Living survey (it currently comes joint 56th, with Glasgow).

Film

Congratulations to Sandy Powelll who, as pointed out by The Guardian HERE, triumphed in the Best Costume Design category to now have won more Oscars than Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro – all of whom have just two to her three. The other British winner was Rob Beckett, who won his first Oscar for sound editing on The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow’s underdog victor. The low budget film scooped six awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director – making Bigelow the first woman to take directing honours in Oscar’s 82 year history. But does this represent a victory for women and a compelling or focussed view of what’s happening in cinema universally, or do the Academy Awards merely give us a vivid, muddled snapshot of the American mood? Discussion in The Guardian HERE, whilst The Times argues it represents ‘a big bang that changed Hollywood forever’ HERE.

Music

The world’s most influential classical music critic, Alex Ross, will deliver the annual Royal Philharmonic Society lecture to the assembled cognoscenti at the Wigmore Hall in London, entitled Inventing and Reinventing the Classical Concert, as he turns his gaze to the concert experience. The time has come, Ross says, to rethink the way that Brahms, Beethoven and Bruckner are presented.

Plenty of rethinking has already gone on in the UK; The Southbank Centre encourages cross-genre events, recently supporting Anna Meredith’s new concerto for beatboxer and orchestra; The Barbican puts orchestral scores to films — on Monday night a screening of Mikio Naruse’s 1933 silent film Nightly Dreams had a soundtrack by Nitin Sawhney; And the Roundhouse’s Reverb series in January, which introduced classical music to a pop venue, played to packed houses. Today’s Times asks what is the best way to reinvent the concert HERE.

Meanwhile, The Guardian looks at the effect of the No Applause Rule on the classical concert experience, arguing that the etiquette and the music sometimes work at cross-purposes. Clapping in the ‘wrong’ place comes from intuitively following instructions in the score, which explains why newcomers exhibit anxiety on the subject; it even appears that fear of incorrect applause can inhibit people from attending concerts altogether. You can read more on the question ‘If the underlying message of the protocol is, in essence: “Curb your enthusiasm. Don’t get too excited.” Should we be surprised that people aren’t as excited about classical music as they used to be? In The Guardian HERE.

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Making Music Matter: Boris Johnson’s Music Education Strategy for London 2010-2012

March 2nd, 2010 - 
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Munira Mirza, Boris Johnson’s Mayoral Advisor on Arts and Culture, writes for us about the Mayor’s Music Education Strategy, which has been launched today.

The music scene in London is unparalleled. We have more live music performances than New York, Paris, Tokyo or Shanghai and some of the world’s greatest musicians, bands and orchestras.

But whilst the number of opportunities for young people to get involved and engage with music has increased dramatically over the last few years, access to affordable and ongoing tuition is much more patchy. If parents cannot afford to pay, their children often cannot develop their talent.

The Mayor passionately believes that playing a musical instrument is something every young person should have the opportunity to experience. It can have a transformative impact; enriching the mind, giving knowledge and teaching valuable skills and discipline. It’s not just about diverting them from youth crime or boosting the creative economy.

But in order to create the next generation of Lilly Allen’s and Julian Lloyd Webber’s we have to make sure that the quarter of London’s population who are under-19 have the right opportunities.

Today, the Mayor has published ‘Making Music Matter: Music Education Strategy for London 2010-2012′ (HERE) and unveiled plans for a new fund aimed at increasing music education across the capital.

More than £250,000 will be put into a range of projects to improve musical opportunities for young Londoners, both as players and as audiences, including a Music Education Fund, worth £100,000.

This fund will offer seed money for partnerships between local authority music services and orchestras in the capital, so that more young Londoners, irrespective of background, can learn to play orchestral instruments and experience working with professional musicians.

The strategy also includes initiatives to celebrate and promote music in London. ‘Rhythm of London’, which saw over 100 participatory musical events throughout the city in 2009 is happening again this April.  As is the Rhythm of London busking scheme, which gave young musicians playing at Tube stations the chance to win musical instruments and a year’s licence for a TfL busking slot.

We know there are hundreds of arts organisations, orchestras and local music services already doing fantastic work. Our aim is to build on this by championing what exists and encouraging partnerships so that all young people in London have the opportunity to reach their full musical potential.

If you want to find out more about the Strategy or register an interest in the Fund please email: rhythmoflondon@london.gov.uk

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News Summary: 1st March 2010

March 1st, 2010 - 
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Libraries

Libraries are among the services “most vulnerable” to widespread cuts across local councils, with a BBC survey estimating 25,000 public sector jobs could be lost around the country (more HERE). More than 70% of the 49 councils that responded to the survey predicted spending cuts of between 5% and 20%. The BBC reports that:

‘… services such as libraries… face cuts as councils battle the “perfect storm” of recession – falling revenues and higher demand’

Local Government Association deputy chairman Richard Kemp has said:

‘We know that if the government ring-fences schools, health, defence and the police, other services will need to take a big hit. The LGA view is that everything else will face a cut of 16.5% in real terms. Others believe it could be 18.5%.’

The Guardian reports HERE that under a 10-point government plan to help councils cut spending – in response to the BBC survey – suggests that “arts and leisure services will be most vulnerable to cuts while homelessness, children’s social services and planning are likely to be more protected”.

Meanwhile Tony Travers, director of the Greater London group at the London School of Economics, says:

‘Nothing like this has happened for a generation… To minimise the impacts on the public… would require massive efficiencies in all service, higher charges for many and sharing back-office staff with other public bodies.’ More in The Telegraph HERE.

Heritage

The Times reports fears that historic treasures worth millions will be lost to the country after ‘the Government quietly halved its grant to the “fund of last resort” for heritage.’ Treasury pressure has forced the DCMS to reduce the £10 million previously allocated to the National Heritage Memorial Fund for next year to £5 million, meaning that the fund’s acquisition budget for next year is now in effect down to £1.7 million because £3.3 million of its funds are already committed to assisting the £50 million purchase of Titian’s Diana and Actaeon from the Duke of Sutherland. More HERE.

Radio

In a strongly worded letter to Mark Thompson, the Director-General, representatives of the music industry have said they were ’surprised and alarmed’ by last week’s reports that the BBC is to close 6Music. Geoff Taylor and Tony Wandsworth; chief executive and chairman of the British Phonographic Industry have said:

‘6 Music has established itself as a vital platform providing exposure to a wide range of emerging British music talent… There is no other radio station that is remotely comparable in scale or depth for showcasing new music... It is therefore vital to the artistic and cultural diversity of this country that the role of 6 Music as a taste-maker for the airwaves is preserved.’ More in the Times HERE; and in our Weekend News Summary HERE.

Whilst The Guardian thinks the 6 Music announcement has reminded people why they pay the licence fee, HERE; The Telegraph thinks the licence fee could be scrapped altogether under a Labour government, in response to Ben Bradshaw’s view that there is ‘good reason’ to have a debate as to whether the £3.6 billion annual licence fee is the ‘best funding mechanism’ for the BBC HERE. Further coverage of the BBC’s strategic review, or ‘election manifesto’, can be found in The Guardian HERE.

Tech

CeriseClub, a French internet company has said that illegal file sharing is a ‘national sport’. Southwest France is said to hide one of the highest rates of software piracy in the developed world. Poitou-Charentes, for instance, may be famed for its goat cheese, but it has been hailed by La Charente Libre, the local daily newspaper, as “champion of counterfeit software”.

Studies suggest that 42 per cent of software programmes are copied illegally in France, compared with 26 per cent in Britain and 27 per cent in Germany. In the southwest, the piracy rate was 49 per cent. The cost to business in France is estimated at £1.8 billion — by far the highest in the European Union, driven by an attitude of “Microsoft makes billions. It can afford to lose a few euros here and there”. More in The Times HERE, which also covers today the need to save music from “the twin ravages of illegal downloading and a lack of strategic direction” HERE; and the disproportionate effect of sharing on newcomers’ earnings HERE.

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News Summary: 24th February 2010

February 24th, 2010 - 
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Media

The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s Press Standards, Privacy and Libel report was published last night and can be read in full HERE. In summary the report:

  • Called for the Government to cut “enormous cost of libel cases” in the UK;
  • Called for the Press Complaints Commission to be renamed and have power to fine;
  • Condemned “collective amnesia” at News International over phone hacking but said the culture of hacking being deemed acceptable had now changed.

More in The Guardian HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE; Independent HERE and HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Tech

It has been revealed that former children’s laureates Quentin Blake, Anne Fine and Jacqueline Wilson, among others, have opted out of the Google Books settlement. Court documents relating to the case (see HERE) show that more than 6,500 authors, publishers and literary agents have opted out of the settlement. These include the estates of Rudyard Kipling and Roald Dahl. Novelist Marika Cobbold, author of books including Guppies for Tea and Shooting Butterflies, has opted out and said:

“My feelings were, in the end, that I doubted I would lose out by opting out, whereas I might do by opting in. Also there was the principle that copyright is important… It would be like handing over my babies to a babysitter I’d never met, [and] I couldn’t understand what was in it for me. I love Google, and in principle making information accessible is wonderful, but things are moving so fast, and authors are losing so much control over what we’ve done, that my fear was who knows, in five to 10 years’ time, how this information could be used?” More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and FT HERE.

More bad news for Google as it faces a preliminary anti-monopoly probe by the European Commission into its dominant position in online browsing and digital advertising following allegations that it demotes competing websites to the lower echelons of customers’ search results. The complaints centre on the way in which Google’s search results are compiled and on the terms and conditions the company attaches to deals with advertisers. Although the commission’s investigation is only at a tentative stage, the fact that Brussels is taking the issue seriously is likely to set off alarm bells at Google. More in The Guardian HERE.

Cinema

There’s interesting coverage of the Alice in Wonderland/ Odeon fall-out in today’s Guardian, where it notes that Tim Burton’s film has become an unlikely pawn in a global struggle to ­redefine how, when and where we watch ­movies in the digital age. Disney, which ­produced the movie, wants to shorten the amount of time between some films being released in cinemas and then coming out on DVD. Exhibitors, unsurprisingly, want to preserve the exclusive ­theatrical experience for as long as possible. The studio insists that it’s not trying to enforce a new industry standard: it ­simply wants the ­flexibility to release some films sooner on DVD, when it makes commercial sense to do so. The studio argues that films typically last about two months in cinemas before they disappear off screens; this means a further two-month wait until the official DVD release, a period used by pirates to flog illegal copies. A shorter window, says Disney, will mean less money lost to the pirates.

But exhibitors fear that if they accept a three-month window for Alice, rather than a four, then other studios will ­follow suit, making a further ­contraction inevitable. This, they say, will erode the eagerness of audiences to rush out to the cinema, and tempt them to wait instead for the DVD or online release. More in The Guardian  HERE.

Music

It’s National Sing Up Day today, ‘Sing Up’ works on the basis that every child deserves the chance to sing every day. Singing improves learning, confidence, health and social development; it has the power to change lives and help to build stronger communities. You can read more about Sing Up’s work at their website HERE. There is also news this week that teaching stroke patients to sing can “rewire” their brains, helping them to recover speech. Dr Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist from Northwestern University in Chicago, also studies the effects of music on the brain. She has discovered that musical training seems to enhance the ability to perform other tasks, such as reading; providing yet more evidence that musical training is an important part of children’s education. More in BBC News HERE.

Auction

A rare copy of the first comic book to feature Superman sold for $1m (£640,000) yesterday, smashing the previous record for a comic. The 1938 edition of Action Comics No1 was sold by a private seller to a private buyer. Neither released their name. The issue, which has a cover featuring Superman lifting a car, originally cost 10 cents. More in The Guardian HERE.

Libraries

Miranda McKearney, Directorof the Reading Agency has given an interview to The Guardian, talking about their schemes to promote authors and books to communities, through such means as Summer Reading Challenges and reading groups. More HERE.

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Richard Thompson appointed Artistic Director of Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival

February 23rd, 2010 - 
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The Southbank Centre has just announced that Richard Thompson will be the Artistic Director of the 17th Meltdown festival in 2010.

Following a run of rock and pop artists including David Bowie, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker and Massive Attack; avant-garde legend Ornette Coleman took charge of the Centre’s iconic festival last year – greeted by The Guardian as “one of the best Meltdowns in years”.

Now in 2010, Meltdown’s curatorial baton passes to the extraordinary artist that is Richard Thompson. Jude Kelly, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre, said:

“From the precociously talented 17 year-old with folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention, through his inspired partnership with Linda Thompson to classic solo albums and brilliantly crafted songs covered by the likes of Elvis Costello, David Byrne and REM, few artists can claim to have maintained such musical virtuosity and songwriting excellence for so long. We are delighted and honoured that Richard Thompson has accepted our invitation to curate Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival.”

  • Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all-time and the recipient of both an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriting and the 2006 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • Such is the eclectic diversity of his career that one of his most recent projects has been a song cycle featuring the double bass in honour of long time colleague and friend, Danny Thompson, Cabaret of Souls, a musical chronicle of a talent contest set in Hell, performed in 2009 with a chamber orchestra.
  • Thompson also created the music to Werner Herzog’s 2005 documentary Grizzly Man, plus its recent prequel The Grizzly Man Diaries.
  • Nothing exemplifies Thompson’s versatility more than his occasional journeys through a 1000 Years of Popular Music, which successfully toured here in 2009: The Guardian commenting:

“He manages to convey the electrifying energy of rock’n’roll, the cheek of music hall and the sass of swing, all with the same aching precision.”

With the full line-up for the annual festival still to be announced, the possibilities as to what Thompson might select or choose to perform himself keep us intrigued…

“I am very excited to be hosting this year’s Meltdown at Southbank Centre. The wide-ranging programme reflects many of my interests and influences across many musical, visual and literary styles, and should provide some unique moments, unusual collaborations and juxtapositions. All this in the place where I saw my first concert in 1961 – such an honour!”

Jane Beese, Senior Music Programmer, Southbank Centre, said:

“Whether penning such classics as Walking On A Wire, Dimming Of The Day or Meet On The Ledge, adding sublime guitar to Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter, no-one associated with the folk tradition is also so highly regarded by fans and critics alike as a genuine ‘guitar hero’, able to juxtapose his fiery electric side with that more pensive acoustic mood. Richard Thompson’s sheer versatility as a performer and renowned integrity make us wonder why he hasn’t directed Meltdown before now.”

The Observer is Media Partner of Meltdown 2010, which will take place from the 11th – 20th of June in the concert halls and spaces of London’s riverside arts centre; including the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. You can read more HERE and listen to the announcement on BBC Radio 6 today HERE (25mins, 55 secs in).

A detailed biography and discography of Richard Thompson available HERE.

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News Summary: 22nd February 2010

February 22nd, 2010 - 
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Heritage

The Abbey Road recording studios could be listed within a week as part of a move by English Heritage, which is standing by a recommendation it made in 2003 that the studios should be given Grade II listed status. In the recommendation to ministers the organisation concluded:

“The Abbey Road Studios warrant listing at Grade II for their outstanding cultural interest as the world’s earliest purpose-built, and still the most famous, recording studios… [The studios] possess huge cultural interest as well as substantially intact recording studio spaces interiors and should be listed.” More in The Times HERE.

The move is in response to the widely held belief that the studios were to be sold by EMI. However, EMI allayed fears of a sale yesterday, saying it had rejected a bid for the historic building last year but was in discussions about a “revitalisation” project to bring new life to the studios:

“At all times, these plans have focused on providing access to artists and, where possible, members of the public… In mid-2009, we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of £30m but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI’s ownership.” More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE; Telegraph HERE; and FT HERE.

A major celebration of the work of Gustav Mahler and a return of a Venezuelan youth orchestra that took London by storm last year (for example, HERE), are among the highlights of the forthcoming classical music season at the Southbank Centre. More in The Guardian HERE.

Tech

The spate of internet attacks that hit Google (background of which you can see in our January news summaries, for example HERE and HERE) has, according to the New York Times HERE, been traced to two colleges in China. Shanghai Jiaotong University is well regarded as a centre for computer studies, and has an extensive information security programme that boasts “high level talent” and, says the NYT, has links to major military research projects. The other college is the Lanxiang Vocational School. While the Chinese authorities have not commented on the report, a member of staff from Lanxiang has said:

“We did not know Google was hacked before the New York Times contacted us – when they called, we told them we know nothing but they still made the story up… Our students are middle school graduates, and we train them to use software like Photoshop. If our students are so skilled they can hack Google, then what are they here for? …I hope the media can be cautious about this report… We don’t want to worsen US-China relations or draw national attention.” More in the Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

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News Summary: 19th February 2010

February 19th, 2010 - 
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Fashion

Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council, called for a minute’s silence in memory of the late Alexander McQueen, at the opening of London Fashion Week, at Somerset House, this morning.

“His impact on London and this international fashion industry has been extraordinary. And he will be sorely missed… He proved that this industry and this city is one of opportunity, he left school with one O-Level and, with a good mix of determination, hard work and genius, he became and will remain one of London’s leading lights… To ensure London, his home city, continues to grow as a global fashion centre will be a fitting tribute to this brilliant man.”

London Fashion Week has also put up a memorial wall for fashion press and buyers to leave messages for the much-loved designer. More in The Independent  HERE and Times HERE.

So many designers (more than 40) are planning to live stream their shows from this season’s fashion week catwalks – to include Burberry’s 3D live streaming on Tuesday, that the British Fashion Council has had to produce the world’s first digital fashion schedule. More in The Independent HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE

Music

Another Abbey Road update today as Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced that he would like to buy the studio. EMI’s private equity parent Terra Firma is said to be hoping the north London site could raise tens of millions of pounds for the embattled music group. Following the National Trust’s statement that it will consider buying the studios to preserve them for the nation, a spokesman for Lloyd Webber has now confirmed that  too was “very interested” in buying Abbey Road studios:

“He first recorded there in 1967 with Tim Rice. Andrew has since recorded most of his musicals there, from Jesus Christ Superstar to his new musical Love Never Dies… He thinks it is vital that the studios are saved for the future of the music industry in the UK.” More in The Guardian  HERE; Independent HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Broadcasting and Publishing

We reported yesterday on the BBC’s announcement of a new range of free applications that will deliver its online services to mobile devices, starting with BBC News in April. The Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) has now issued a statement complaining that the BBC’s ambitions are a threat to an important source of revenue for commercial media organisations; as people increasingly receive their news via Apple iPhones and other handheld devices. NPA director, David Newell has said:

“Not for the first time, the BBC is preparing to muscle into a nascent market and trample over the aspirations of commercial news providers. At a time when the BBC is facing unprecedented levels of criticism over its expansion, and when the wider industry is investing in new models, it is extremely disappointing that the Corporation plans to launch services that would throw into serious doubt the commercial sector’s ability to make a return on its investment, and therefore its ability to support quality journalism.” More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and FT HERE.

There has also been some reaction against the BBC’s plan to get the Pope to record a ‘Thought for the Day’. Terry Sanderson, the National Secular Society president, has said:

“I think the BBC under Mark Thompson is going to go into overdrive and we are going to have Pope, Pope, Pope, driven down our throats… We cannot help but suspect that Mark Thompson’s recent visit to the Vatican for what were called ‘high-level talks’ with Vatican officials might well have been to plan this kind of propaganda exercise.” More in The Independent HERE.

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News Summary: 18th February 2010

February 18th, 2010 - 
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Broadcasting

The BBC has announced a new range of free applications that will deliver its online services to mobile devices, starting with BBC News in April. The BBC is also considering an iPlayer application for release later in the year. The BBC’s director of future media and technology, Erik Huggers, has said:

“It’s been 12 years since the launch of BBC Online, but as media converges and technology accelerates, licence fee payers are increasingly using sophisticated handheld devices to access information. They tell us that they want to access the digital services that they have paid for at a time and place that suits them.”

More in The Guardian HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

In other BBC news, Mark Damazer, the controller of Radio 4, to include the Today programme’s “Thought for the Day”, announced yesterday that the corporation has asked the Pope to broadcast when he visits Britain this year, saying:

“Mark [Thompson] knows of my aspiration. We’ve spotted the coincidence between my desire to have the Pope, and the Pope being here. We should be getting the top people in the English-speaking world on our shows. I won’t leave this job until I have got the Pope doing Thought for the Day.”

More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Music

We reported yesterday of Sir Paul McCartney’s hopes that Abbey Road studios would be saved. It has now been confimed that EMI have put them up for sale and hundreds of people have now urged the National Trust to act. Yesterday Chris Evans joined supporters by, using his Radio 2 show to call for a rescue. The National Trust has said:

“It’s not often that the public spontaneously suggests we acquire a building. Abbey Road studios appear to be very dear to the nation’s heart — to the extent that we will take soundings as to whether a campaign is desirable or even feasible.”

More in The Guardian HERE; Times HERE; Telegraph HERE; and FT HERE.

Film

Disney has found success in its negotiations with Cineworld, persuading it to drop its boycott of Tim Burton’s film Alice in Wonderland after negotiations, despite the studio’s wish to bring out the DVD after 12 weeks rather than the usual 17. However Odeon and Vue, which own about 40 per cent of screens, have refused to compromise.

The negotiations are pivotal for how people watch films in future as other distributors are expected to follow Disney’s lead. Distributors wish to bring films out on DVD more quickly because they believe it will revive flagging sales in home video, which was until recently the biggest moneyspinner for filmmakers. Sales of DVDs dropped by about 20 per cent last year. Distributors also hope that a faster home video release will curb the sales of pirate DVDs. More in The Guardian HERE; and Times HERE.

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News Summary: 17th February 2010

February 17th, 2010 - 
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Brit Awards 2010

It was all about the ‘fame monster’ Gaga wasn’t it really, and so, in turn, is today’s coverage. The British music industry chose to award the 23-year-old, whose “Poker Face” single was the biggest-selling song of 2009, with the gongs for International Breakthrough; International Female Solo Artist; and International Album and you can read more in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Here’s the rest of the night’s wins:

British male solo artist Dizzee Rascal

British female solo artist Lily Allen

British breakthrough act JLS

British group Kasabian

British Album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Kasabian

British single Beat Again, JLS

International male solo artist Jay-Z

International female solo artist Lady GaGa

International breakthrough act Lady Gaga

International album The Fame, Lady GaGa

British producer Paul Epworth

Critics’ choice Ellie Goulding

Outstanding contribution to music Robbie Williams

Best Brits performance of its 30-year history Spice Girls, (1997) “Wannabe”/”Who Do You Think You Are?”

Best Brits album of 30 years (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis

Tech

Google is being threatened with legal action over the launch of its new social network, Google Buzz, amid furious claims that the service breaches users’ privacy. A week after launching the service with great fanfare and with high hopes that it could lure internet users’ attention away from Facebook and Twitter, Google finds itself embroiled in a technical and public relations nightmare. The pioneering internet company again apologised to users yesterday, and said it was working round the clock to roll out additional alterations to Buzz, on top of emergency changes imposed late last week and over the weekend.

Users revolted when they realised that their contacts could now see who they had been emailing – something that could reveal everything from private business relationships to romantic affairs. Shelly Palmer, founder of Advanced Media Ventures, has said:

“Anyone who understands the Google mindset could not have expected them to get this right… Everywhere they go, they try to apply mechanistic efficiency. They looked at Facebook and said, ‘You have to invite people? How ridiculous! We’ll just look at who you email most and hook up those people right now.’ This wasn’t a malicious attack on your privacy. It was just Google’s attempt to create a social network with no fuss.” More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Broadcasting

SeeSaw, a new television streaming service launches online today, bringing together shows from the BBC, Channel 4 and Five on a single site. SeeSaw went live with more than 3,000 hours of content and, unlike services such as BBC’s iPlayer or Channel 4’s 4oD, which broadcast their own content, has partnerships with BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, Five and independent companies who produce shows for ITV. John Keeling, the controller of SeeSaw, said:

“It’s like having an enormous buffet. You can either just snack on it and catch up on what you’ve missed, or gorge yourself with an entire season. It’s absolutely at your fingertips and your control.”

SeeSaw is currently free and funded by advertising revenue but in future it will introduce a pay-per-view service for top US dramas and other premium content. More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

The BBC has been accused of having a “total sense of humour failure” after banning its political editor, Nick Robinson, and other senior journalists from taking part in one of the corporation’s own entertainment programmes. The extraordinary situation relates to “The Bubble”, a new show whose format involves three comedians being cut off from the news for several days in a country house with no access to any media and then being asked to distinguish between authentic and fake news items. Both ITV News and Sky News have been happy to co-operate with BBC the series and supply it with news footage. The only BBC footage to appear will be archive material, even though the series is supposed to reflect stories of the week.

A spokesman for BBC News  has said:

“We are sure The Bubble on BBC Two will be extremely funny but BBC journalists will leave it to the comedians to do the comedy.” More in The Independent HERE.

Advertising

The Advertising Standards Authority have today ruled that eight TV adverts shown during an episode of Sherlock Holmes were “excessively strident” and breached the sound levels code. This followed a complaint from a viewer that the adverts were excessively noisy compared to the surrounding programme material, reflecting a long-standing issue for some TV watchers.

The ASA upheld the viewer’s complaint, saying the volume was “not well matched to the overall sound levels of the programme” but has also noted that complaints about noisy advertisements have gone down since rules were tightened up two years ago. More in the Guardian HERE; and Independent HERE.

Music

Sir Paul McCartney has told of his hopes that the famous Abbey Road Studios could be saved after reportedly being put up for sale by owner EMI. Sir Paul, who recorded most of the Beatles’ songs at Abbey Road, told BBC’s Newsnight:

“There are a few people who have been associated with the studio for a long time who were talking about mounting some bid to save it… I sympathise with them. I hope they can do something, it’d be great.

EMI – which counts Robbie Williams and Coldplay among its artists – posted a £1.75 billion loss for the year to March 2009 in accounts earlier this month. Recent recording advances and cheaper overseas studio facilities have added competitive pressure to Abbey Road and a sale of the studios would raise much needed cash for its struggling owner. More in The Guardian HERE; Independent HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

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