26 or younger and have never attended MIDEM? Grab your reduction now!
Either studying or working in the music industry and never attended MIDEM, benefit from a special discount rate at 280 euros, more than 50% off October rate.

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Live concerts: hook up with partners and new contacts at the Opening and Closing Night Parties; discover new international artists with Talent showcases.

MIDEM: the one stop destination for the world’s music community, 23-27 January 2010. Register now! Click here

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MIDEM 2010, Cannes: Intimate club venue available for hire in the Palais du Festival - to showcase your artists and bands.

4am license. UK bar prices. 400 Capacity. Private entrance. Staff and DJ supplied.

Leyline has teamed up with Splash Promotions in Cannes to offer production, event management and PR services.

Contact 020 7575 3285 [email protected] / [email protected]

www.splashpromotions.co.uk - www.leylinepromotions.com

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SHOREDITCH OFFICE, 764 SQUARE FOOT (15-20 DESKS), £1000 PER MONTH
Self-contained office space available in the centre of Shoreditch, on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Great Eastern Street, next to the CMU HQ. 5-8 minutes walk from Liverpool Street and Old Street tube stations. A top floor workspace with plenty of natural light in an exciting neighbourhood that is home to numerous music, media, PR and creative companies. 764 square feet, with room for 15-20 desks plus its own kitchen area and adjacent toilets. £1000 per month plus service charge and business rates (£275 per month and £600 per month respectively). Includes heating. Available now. For more information contact [email protected].

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Advertise your stuff here: £120 for five editions - [email protected]

A LOAD OF JACKO: LAPD TAKE IT SLOW, JANET ACCUSES THE DOC, JOE APPEALS
The police investigating the death of Michael Jackson say they are taking their time because they don't want to botch the case, citing both the OJ Simpson and Robert Blake murder investigations as examples of times when rushing on the part of the LAPD hindered subsequent prosecution cases in court.

Both Simpson and Blake were acquitted of murder charges, of course, after high profile defence lawyers managed to pick sufficient holes in the prosecution cases against their clients. Yet both men were subsequently deemed liable to pay wrongful death damages, when sued by the families of the victims who they, in the eyes of the criminal courts, hadn't murdered. The anomaly is the result of the lesser 'burden of proof' required in civil cases, but the fact liability could be proved while guilt could not led to many to criticise both the prosecution lawyers pursuing the cases against Simpson and Blake, and also the police officers who amassed the evidence used in court.

Anyway, none of this is really relevant, except that, according to TMZ, the fall out from the Simpson and Blake trials mean the LAPD are extra careful when it comes to celebrity murder cases which are likely to generate many column inches if and when they reach court, not wanting to be seen to bungle again.

Of course this case is rather different to Simpson, Blake and that other celebrity murder case heard in the Californian courts in recent years, the Phil Spector trial. Firstly the celebrity is the victim not the defendant, and secondly there's no dispute over who was holding the gun, knife or, in this case, the needle. The question is, was Jackson's doctor - Dr Conrad Murray - criminally negligent in administering a surgical anaesthetic to help the late king of pop sleep, and did he or anyone else break laws in order to secure the drug for domestic use?

Commenting on the slow progress of the LAPD's investigation into Murray, one source told TMZ: "There is not a problem with the case. Time is on our side. We want to do this right. We've had bad luck with big cases like OJ in the past, and we don't want to repeat those mistakes". Said sources say it's hoped their investigations may be done by Christmas, but that there is a chance it may run into January.

The TMZ report on the slow progress of the Jackson homicide investigation came as Janet Jackson, for the first time, formally pointed the finger at Dr Murray. In an interview with ABC in the US, due to air later this week, she says: "He [Murray] was the one that was administering [the drugs]. I think he is responsible".

Murray maintains his innocence, and yesterday a spokesman for the doc restated his claim that he didn't prescribe or administer any drugs to Jackson that he could have known would kill the pop star.

In the ABC interview Jackson talks about her "tough year", and recalls the day in June when her brother died. She said: "I was at my house in New York. You know, another day, another morning. And I get a call. [My assistant] said, 'Your brother's been taken to the hospital. It's on CNN right now'. I called everyone. There's a line busy or - someone wasn't picking up. I spoke to mother. I spoke to Tito. I spoke to my nephew Austin. I spoke to my sister La Toya".

She continued: "I told them to call me when they got to the hospital. And I remember thinking nobody's calling me back, so I tried calling again, and that's how I found out that he was no longer ... I couldn't believe it. It just didn't ring true to me. It felt like a dream. It's still so difficult for me to believe. It's, you know, you have to accept what is. But it's hard. You have to move on with your life. You have to accept what is and I understand that".

In related news, Murray's spokesman also yesterday claimed that AEG Live, promoters of the Jackson O2 residency that never happened, owe him $300,000 for the two months work he did caring for Jacko prior to the late king of pop's death.

Given the police investigations into Murray, and allegations his negligence led to the death of AEG's biggest act, you can perhaps understand why the concert promoter isn't fast tracking his invoices. But Murray claims that he gave up a lot of work to become Jackson's full time medic, and that AEG is bound by contract to pay him his fees. Murray's people say he won't tap the Jackson estate for his money because he was hired by the live music giant directly.

AEG are yet to respond. Murray's finances have been under the spotlight ever since Jacko's demise, and are seemingly in a bit of a mess. The doc was in court yesterday trying to get our of child support commitments on the basis he's broke. The judge wasn't overly sympathetic it seems.

Talking of courts and the late king of pop, but away from the doctor now, and Jackson's father Joe Jackson is expected to appeal that previously reported ruling that rejected his objections to the administration of his late son's estate by John Branca and John McClain.

Joe, who was cut out of his son's will, has become increasingly antsy since his estranged wife Katherine, who initially also objected to Branca and McClain's running of the late king of pop's affairs, announced last week she was now happy for them to continue to do so. Joe Jackson disputes the validity of the 2002 will from which Branca and McClain get their authority.

The LA court last week rejected Jackson Senior's claims, which, TMZ reveals, has led to the Jackson patriarch taking his case to the California Court of Appeal. Legal experts don't seem to reckon much for Joe's chances though.

Finally, from a rather busy Michael Jackson news desk, the law firm which represented Jacko in his custody battle against Debbie Rowe in relation to the couple's two children have filed a financial claim to the executors of his estate. They are owed for work done relating to the custody arrangement earlier this year, legal work for which Jackson only paid a portion of the fee.

The sum they are tapping the Jackson estate for? $1419.70. For 4.35 hours work and a $14 parking charge. Sitting alongside a string of six figure claims against Jackson, the estate's lawyers must be tempted to send a 'This Is It' box set signed by the Jacko kids and tell the custody lawyers to make their money back on eBay.

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CISAC SUPPORTS GERMAN SONGWRITERS CLAIM AGAINST YOUTUBE
The International Council Of Creators And Music, which is part of the globally focused songwriters body CISAC, has given its support to that previously reported legal claim against YouTube in Germany that I'm calling the Sarah Brightman case. As previously reported, a number of German producers and songwriters are suing YouTube through the German courts.

It's the classic anti-YouTube legal dispute. The claimants say that the video sharing website does not do enough to stop punters from uploading copyright infringing content and that YouTube are therefore guilty of infringement themselves, from the time a video gets uploaded without the copyright owner's permission to the point at which they take it down.

YouTube argues that because they remove content as soon as they receive a takedown notice from a content owner they are inline with copyright rules. The claimants argue it is unfair that the onus should be on them to monitor the uploading of infringing content onto YouTube's websites.

I'm not sure what German copyright law says about such things, probably very little, which means the court case has the potential to set an interesting precedent. Even in the US, where the law is a bit clearer on such things, the issue has been disputed in court and - while the argument being used by YouTube has generally been successful in defeating this kind of copyright claim - the ruling in the ongoing Viacom v YouTube case, also on this issue, could as yet prove significant, if it ever reaches court.

Of course, arguably, new content recognition software being employed by YouTube to block uncleared videos before they go live would satisfy most courts that the video service is doing all it can to stop others uploading infringing content onto its website. So even if they are guilty of past infringement, it is unlikely they'd need to make any changes to current operations.

Anyway, the ICCM has said it supports the German claim, being made by, amongst others, producer Frank Peterson, best known for his work with Brightman. In a statement issued this week, the Council said: [We] welcome and wholeheartedly support these actions by authors in Germany, in order to clarify to what extent in particular the moral rights of music authors have been permanently damaged by the defendants and furthermore whether the responsible directors of Google can be personally called to account for illegal distribution of music on an unprecedented scale".

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POLICE INVESTIGATING BOGUS LIL WAYNE MANAGER
Reps for Lil Wayne and Drake have warned venue managers that a fraudster is going round claiming to be the rappers' manager, and taking advance payments for gigs that will never happen. So, consider yourself warned. Though how we can be certain that these reps aren't the fraudsters I'm not sure.

Anyway, a spokesman for the two rappers and their (possibly) real management said yesterday: "It has come to light that an individual has been impersonating Bryant Management CEO Cortez Bryant for financial gain through false bookings of his clients, specifically the much buzzed about recording artist Drake. The impostor has created bogus Twitter and email accounts in Bryant's name which he then utilises to secure and pocket deposits for false bookings and club appearances".

The spokesman added that the police had been informed of the fraud, and have begun investigating the identify and whereabouts of the person behind it. The statement added: "Bryant Management is fully cooperating with the investigation and confident that the individual will be apprehended in a timely manner".

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DAN DEACON IN SERIOUS PAIN
American electro man Dan Deacon has been hospitalised after suffering severe pains in his back and leg, resulting in the cancellation of his current US tour.

The pain kicked in last week, seemingly, and efforts to overcome it all by using the services of a massage therapist and acupuncturist seemingly failed, leading to a quick visit to ER for some serious pain killer action.

Reporting on his Facebook about his ill health, he wrote that the "pain had come to a peak and it was impossible to bear and it was frightening", adding that "it sucked major dick".

Five US shows will be cancelled as a result of all this pain. Deacon says he hopes to reschedule them all asap.

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DEREK B DIES
The first UK rapper to appear in the British music charts, Derek B, has died of a heart attack, aged 44.

Born Derek Boland in 1965, the rapper began DJing in London at 15, before moving onto pirate radio. His first recording was a track called 'Rock The Beat', rapping under the pseudonym EZQ. It was produced for US hip hop compilation 'Def Beats 1' after the makers of that compo found they were short one track.

After that Boland had top twenty hits with the tracks 'Good Groove' and 'Bad Young Brother' and co-wrote 'Anfield Rap' for Liverpool Football Club. Subsequently he moved into production and A&R.

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RED STRIPE ANNOUNCE BATTLE OF THE BANDS PROGRAMME FOR 2010
Lager brand Red Stripe has announced details of the fourth year of their battle of the bands whatnot. Gigs will take place all over the UK in the first quarter of 2010 at which local bands will compete. The overall winners will win stuff. And slots at some music festivals and the Red Stripe-sponsored Great Escape.

Look, here's Red Stripe's Paul Brazier saying words: "The Red Stripe Music Award is about providing emerging artists with an appropriate platform to be heard, with support from partners that truly benefits each band".

If you're a band and you want to enter go to this URL: www.redstripe.net

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MCCARTNEY GETS CONGRESS MUSIC PRIZE
America's Library Of Congress will give Paul McCartney the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. It's the third such award to be presented. Previous gongs went to Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. There'll be a big bash to celebrate in the spring. That's nice.

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NME NAME ALBUM OF THE DECADE
The NME have chosen 'This Is It' by The Stokes as their album of the decade. And apparently they aren't joking. In fact, the judging panel included over a hundred people from across the music industry, including bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, Glasvegas, Paul Weller, Robert Smith, Vampire Weekend, producers including Stephen Street and Diplo, record label bosses from Domino, Rough Trade, XL and Heavenly, festival bookers Melvin Benn and Emily Eavis, as well as NME staff past and present.

Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas said of the award: "It's totally crazy! I don't know what that means. Does it mean it's a good musical decade or a bad musical decade? I don't know, I'm such a bad judge of my own stuff. But I thought it was great when I heard. Recording the album was fun, it was stressing, it was exciting. I think if I was to know then that I'd be having this conversation now I couldn't be more pleased. I'm restraining myself now, I don't want to get carried away, but I'm pretty damn psyched with myself. Mental high five!"

NME Editor Krissi Murison added: "This is the definitive word on the greatest albums of the 00s - as voted for by everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade. Aside from the fact my choice only made it to number five, I think you'll agree it's an incredible list of records".

Here's the top ten:

1. The Strokes - Is This It
2. The Libertines - Up The Bracket
3. Primal Scream - xtrmntr
4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
6. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows

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EMINENT CONDUCTOR RE-SIGNS TO EMI
EMI Classics has signed a new contract with Simon Rattle, the principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic who has worked with the major label's classical division for three decades, and has been involved in no less than 250 recordings for the record company.

Confirming he was re-signing with EMI, Rattle told CMU: "In a time where recording contracts are rare enough to be an endangered species, I feel both lucky and privileged to be working further with EMI Classics, my loyal and brave partners of more than 30 years. The orchestra and I are delighted to be able to carry on bringing our music making to a hopefully ever wider audience, and are very touched by the faith of EMI in our partnership".

EMI Classics Global President Eric Dingman added: "I am delighted about the ongoing partnership with Sir Simon which will continue to produce ground-breaking recordings and projects, adding to the great wealth, depth and breadth of repertoire that Sir Simon is building with EMI Classics".

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ROLF AND THE QUO GET FESTIVE
Rolf Harris has teamed up with Status Quo to record a new Christmas song, to be released on 7 Dec. We have no further comment on this project.

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MORRISSEY GIG WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED
Morrissey's gig at the Liverpool Echo Arena, which was cut short one and half songs in after an audience member threw a drink at the singer, leading Mozza storming off in a huff, won't be rescheduled.

Promoters had hoped to reschedule the show, possibly with a big plastic screen separating Morrissey from those pesky drink-throwing scousers, but it's not to be. Perhaps the plastic screen would have proved too expensive, while proposals Mozza have lessons in how to duck were deemed unviable.

Whatever, Morrissey's Liverpool fans will get a refund for the halted show. As previously reported, management at the Echo Arena have reported the drink-throwing incident to the police. Though it's possible they've got better things to be doing than following the case up.

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GRIZZLY BEAR IN BUS CRASH
Grizzly Bear's tour bus crashed in Austria on Thursday night, according to a post on the band's website. The band were travelling from Munich to support Wilco at a show in Milan. No one was hurt, it seems, but the band still had to cancel the Italian gig as a new bus didn't arrive quickly enough. Then two came along at once. Possibly.

The band said on Saturday: "Driving overnight after the show in Munich Thursday night, the bus and trailer were hit and rendered immovable. The trailer was wrecked and the bus engine split. Everyone involved is fine and spent a day in Austria pulling things together. However, a replacement bus and trailer was supposed to arrive earlier today to pick everyone up in time to make the show in Milan tonight as special guests to Wilco, but it did not show up for hour".

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SLAYER POSTPONE EUROPEAN TOUR
Last week Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo said he was pretty sure that the band's European tour this month would still go ahead as planned, despite back surgery undergone by frontman Tom Araya, which had already forced the band to cancel the Canadian leg of their current tour. Turns out he was wrong. The dates have, however, been rescheduled for next spring, which is nice.

A spokesman for the band told reporters: "It is with immense disappointment that Slayer must postpone its UK and European tour. Tom Araya has been under the care of a specialist for a back injury, and while he has already made substantial improvement, he is continuing on with doctor-prescribed treatment".

The band's manager, Rick Sales added: "Right now our main concern must be the full and permanent recovery of Tom, so we have decided to clear the calendar and give him the extra time he needs to concentrate solely on good health".

Here are the new dates for the UK leg of the tour:

7 Mar:Manchester, Academy
8 Mar: London, Forum
9 Mar: London, Forum
2 Apr: Nottingham, Rock City
3 Apr: Glasgow, Barrowlands
4 Apr: Leeds, Academy
5 Apr: Birmingham, Academy

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MUSIC TANK THINK JAZZ
The next MusicTank Think Tank session will be a jazzy affair, looking, as it will, at the state of the UK jazz scene, and at the role of the BBC and other publicly funded bodies in supporting the genre.

The event will coincide with the publication of two new reports from support network Jazz Services. I think the basic gist of at least one of those reports will be that the BBC fails to properly represent the jazz genre despite the fact jazz music is actually doing very well commercially, showing a continued passion for the genre among a substantial number British music fans.

Jazz Services' Chris Hodgkins will lead the debate, alongside journalist and lecturer Professor Stuart Nicholson and the University Of Westminister's Mykaell Riley. Other speakers are tbc. The debate will take place on 19 Jan in London. More info at www.musictank.co.uk

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LIVE REVIEW: Andrew Bird at Union Chapel in London on 10 Nov
Whenever I try to whistle, the only sound that I manage to churn out is a cross between the sound of a baby making a raspberry and a very angry sigh. Andrew Bird however, whistles like an angel. Or (and probably more sensibly) a bird. He sings like one, too. Added to the fact that he can play the violin perfectly, amongst other hopelessly romantic instruments, he is, in fact, quite the troubadour. Sigh.

'Oh No' and 'Plasticities' were the evening's highlights, but the entire show was so captivating that it really is hard to pinpoint the grandest moments amongst so many that shone. It truly is amazing to think that one man, alone on stage, can produce the opulent enormity of an orchestra through a loop pedal and some very talented fingers.

Opened by a breathtaking performance by Franco-American country-folkers Moriarty (who I am now truly in love with), Tuesday night at Union Chapel was a spectacular one, where Bird's endearing humbleness only added to his appeal. Beautiful and mindblowing. TW

Buy from iTunes
Buy from Amazon

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F1 ROCKS DECLARED A SUCCESS
Universal Music have declared their F1 Rocks venture a success after an estimated 30 million people experienced the project worldwide: 27,000 live in Singapore and the rest via TV broadcasts in 172 territories.

As previously reported, F1 Rocks is a joint venture between the Universal-backed events company All The Worlds and the Formula One enterprise. It saw two big music shows staged alongside the Singapore Grand Prix in September. Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas and No Doubt were among the artists involved.

It's an interesting project on at least two levels. First, it's a high level collaboration between the music and sports industries, two sectors which probably have much to gain by working together. Second, it is part of Universal Music's diversification, seeing the major working with key players in the live space, and extending further into the TV rights and brand partnerships business.

Commenting on the first year of the project, the boss of All The Worlds, Paul Morrison, told reporters: "These [viewing] figures are extremely encouraging for a first outing. Broadcasters enjoyed the interaction between the drivers and music A-listers. Singapore was flooded with our stars and this resonated around the world due to the huge exposure generated by F1 Rocks, widening the appeal of the Singapore Grand Prix Season".

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CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA MAN FORMS LABEL
Cinematic Orchestra mainman Jason Swinscoe has formed a new label in partnership with Ninja Tune. Swinscoe will work with Ninja Tune A&R bloke Dominic Smith on the new company, Motion Audio. The first release on the label will be Lou Rhodes' third solo album, 'One Good Thing', in March next year.

Swinscoe has, of course, had a long relationship with Ninja Tune. Not only has the label been responsible for the UK releases of all The Cinematic Orchestra's albums, but he also worked for the company prior to forming the group.

Announcing the formation of Motion Audio, Swinscoe said: "Motion Audio will be more about a vibe than any particular sound or style. We want to surprise people, move people, make art. The only thing the records will share is heart".

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DELOITTE DENY FORMER WOOLIES BOSSES' CONFLICT OF INTEREST CLAIMS
A spokesman for accountants Deloitte has denied claims made by the former bosses of Woolworths regarding the collapse of the famous music and stuff retailer.

The chairman and CEO of Woolies prior to its demise - Richard North and Steve Johnson respectively - have questioned the fact Deloitte were both the main advisors to the retailer's bankers and the administrators once the company went under.

They argue that created a conflict of interest, because Deloitte have made about £3.8 million in fees managing the Woolies bankruptcy, and therefore had a lot to gain when they advised the firm's banks to reject rescue plans proposed by North and Johnson which would have involved the bankers providing further credit.

The Telegraph quote Johnson thus: "I think it is unsatisfactory that advisers to banking groups on their options can then become administrators. The order of magnitude of fees is a factor of many times higher for an administration, compared to giving advice".

North added: "There is manifestly a conflict of interest. They are not going to look positively on plans to stop a business failing".

However, Deloitte's Neville Kahn denied any such conflict of interest existed, partly by noting that it was North and Johnson's management team who approved the accountant's appointment as administrators.

Kahn: "The reason that Woolworths failed was because it was making substantial losses. Its working capital was impacted because of the withdrawal of credit insurance and it ran out of money. The directors were the ones who appointed administrators".

Johnson maintains that, had the banks backed it, his rescue plan would have enabled the famous retail chain to stay in business, albeit in a slimmed down fashion. He argues: "There would have been job losses and it would potentially have been messy. But it was a different outcome that would have been better".

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FILE-SHARING DOES AND DOESN'T ENCOURAGE MORE MUSIC BUYING
Part of me thinks we should be past the era when research firms pump out stats that show file-sharing aids music sales, while the record industry counters with data that proves the opposite. That's why I've been sitting on this statement for over a week, but feel I need to report on it, just for a sense of closure.

The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry recently issued a statement countering that previously reported report from research people Demos, published earlier this month, which once again suggested that those who access illegal sources of music buy more music products as a result.

In their response, the globally focused trade body for record label types said: "[The Demos] findings do not prove that illegal file-sharing boosts music sales. They only reflect that there is an overlap between those people who download music illegally and those who purchase music. This is not an original finding and it is consistent with the typical profile of many music fans who today acquire music from different sources, some legitimate and some not".

They go onto argue that "the damaging impact of illegal file-sharing is borne out by nearly all other third party research", which isn't totally true - I think the number of reports that say file-sharing encourages music sales are probably about equal to those that say the opposite.

And the report the IFPI then relies on is one that I think they themselves commissioned, which is cheating a little. Nevertheless, they say: "A study by Jupiter Research in 2007 found that 'online music piracy is the single largest factor impacting lost music spend'. Online music piracy will cost the UK music industry £1.6 billion between 2001 and 2012. According to the research by Jupiter, by the end of 2006, online music piracy resulted in a total of £375.8 million of foregone spend. A further £1.2 billion will be foregone by 2012".

To be fair, they do then cite other independent research that also backs their claim. But I still stand by my theory - backed up by no research whatsoever - that file-sharing does stop some people from buying music, while others use it as a free preview service before buying, but that either way, long term, the music industry (including the record industry) will find a way to survive despite the plethora of free music on the net, in much the same way it managed to disprove its own 80s mantra that "home taping is killing music" by having its most profitable period ever in the early 90s.

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SPOTIFY USED BY 11% OF UK WEB USERS
The latest edition of NOP's 'Connected Life' research report has confirmed the rapid growth of Spotify as a music service of choice among UK web users.

In its survey of 2000 net users, NOP found 11% were using the popular streaming music service, despite it only being around for a year. That puts Spotify ahead of both Last.fm and Napster in terms of market penetration. So, well done to the Swedes.

Unsurprisingly, iTunes is still the most used music service, being used by 50% of those surveyed. Amazon was used by 24%.

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UKRD BOSS HITS OUT AT ATTEMPTS TO RUSH TO DAB
The boss of local radio firms UKRD and TLRC has called on the radio industry to accept a 2015 target date for turning off analogue radio transmissions is just unrealistic.

In an editorial for the Radio Today website, he says that that previously reported speech by Lisa Kerr of Digital Radio UK bigging up digital audio broadcasting, and a 2015 deadline for a switch to digital radio in the UK, ignored the position of about 100 stations owned by smaller radio companies.

He again implies that his decision to join UTV in quitting commercial radio trade body RadioCentre was motivated by a dispute over the future of digital audio broadcasting and the timetable for switching off FM. Certainly UTV has made no secret that it quit the body because it feels the interests of radio major Global Radio are dominating.

Conspiracy theorists say that Global is pro a speedy switch off of FM, mainly because it is the owner of the only national commercial FM licence (used by Classic FM), and is frightened that if the FM network is deemed to have a long life expectancy, they'll be forced to re-bid for the licence, which could prove costly. If FM is officially going to be turned off in 2015 (even if, in reality, that doesn't happen), OfCom won't bother re-advertising the licence when the current franchise is up, letting Global keep it uncontested.

Whether there is any truth in that I don't know. But UKRD boss William Rogers certainly feels those who advocate a speedy FM switch off are deluded. He writes: "This is a really serious situation and we all need to wake up before we sleep walk into a disaster. It is extra-ordinary that we have an organisation [I'm not sure if he means Radio Centre or Digital Radio UK here] advocating a position which implies it is speaking on behalf of the radio industry and yet completely ignores the fact that the policy it is supporting and advocating will leave potentially over a hundred local commercial stations denied any such future. This is poor policy planning and for many years has highlighted a real lack of concern for genuinely local commercial radio".

He continues: "Only just over 13% of the population listen to DAB radio after ten years of hammering away. And yet, here we are talking about a review in 2013 with a possible switch-over in 2015. Let's not get conned into talking about digital listening at levels of 20% plus and assume it relates to DAB. It does not. DAB listening is just over 13% and we all need to remember that. In many parts of the country, you get a poor signal and in too many parts you get no signal at all. There should be no consideration of any analogue switch-off date until the infrastructure is fully in place and everyone's future route clearly understood".

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TOTAL ROCK WORLD ALBUM CHART
It's this week's Total Rock World Album Chart, as counted down on Total Rock last weekend - www.totalrock.com. New entries and re-entries marked with a *.

1. Muse - The Resistance (Warner Bros)
2. Rammstein - Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Universal)
3. Paramore - Brand New Eyes (Warner/Atlantic)
4. Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg (Universal)*
5. Pearl Jam - Backspacer (Universal)
6. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue (EMI)
7. Atreyu - Congregation Of The Damned (Warner/Roadrunner)*
8. Nickelback - Dark Horse (Warner/Roadrunner)
9. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (Warner Bros)
10. Fleetwood Mac - The Very Best Of (Warner Bros)
11. Kiss - Sonic Boom (Warner/Roadrunner)
12. Billy Talent - III (Warner/Atlantic)
13. Daughtry - Leave This Town (Sony Music)
14. Guns N Roses - Greatest Hits (Universal/Geffen)*
15. Megadeth - Endgame (Warner/Roadrunner)
16. Rise Against - Appeal To Reason (Universal/Geffen)
17. Flaming Lips - Embryonic (Warner Bros)
18. Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness (Warner/Atlantic)
19. Lynyrd Skynyrd - God & Guns (Warner/Roadrunner)
20, Dead By Sunrise - Out Of Ashes (Warner Bros)

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SLIPKNOT MAN WEDS
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has married his girlfriend in Las Vegas. According to People magazine the rocker exchanged vows with Stephanie Luby at Vegas' Palms Hotel before walking down the aisle to Metallica's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'. It's Taylor's second marriage - he divorced from his first wife in 2007.

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KINGS OF LEON DRUMMER WEDS
More weddings, and Kings Of Leon drummer Nathan Followill has married his girlfriend, singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin, in a ceremony at Brentwood, Tennessee. The couple met at the Bonnaroo festival in 2006.

A spokesperson told Us Weekly: "The wedding was beautiful. It was a gorgeous, 70 degree day".

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SICK MUSIC INDUSTRY STAFFED BY IDIOTS
Mariah Carey and the first signing to Gary Barlow's new label, opera singer Camilla Kerslake, have been saying some stuff about the way the music business is run. Carey reckons the whole industry is run by "frickin idiots", while Kerslake says the way pop groups are put together is "sick".

Mariah was talking specifically about how the industry coped with the advent of the internet, telling The Times: "A lot of big, powerful music-industry executives made a giant mistake, and now we're all paying the price. Frickin idiots! They gave the music business away on the internet. If they had just sat back and said, 'Maybe let's figure this internet thing out, it could be something cool', we could have found a way to distribute music online on our own terms, not somebody else's. Prince had already shown them the way. He was so far ahead of the curve, putting out his own records on the web. Everyone else was stupid".

Who can save the music industry? Why, Mariah, of course. She explained that with her various money-making schemes, including selling advertising on the artwork of her new album, she is trying to find a new business model that will save the industry. She continued: "There are no limits to what we can do. The process of creating something should have no boundaries. Those stupid executives may have given up on the music business but I haven't. It's bleak out there for musicians. We have to do something and I'm going to".

Meanwhile, Camilla Kerslake feels that pop music sells itself short by only looking at things in the short term. Having found that by the end of her teens she was already considered too old for a pop career, she turned her attention to opera instead.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "I did a girlband audition and I got in. I'd been trying for about five years and finally I'd got some recognition. About a week later they asked for my birth certificate. They looked at me a bit funny and said, 'You're 20 and by the time we launch this band you'll be 22, and that's far too old. I was like, 'Are you joking? Twenty two!' I was completely destroyed. But I think for me that was a big turning point. I started to think, 'Even if I could make it as a pop star, do I want to work in an industry where my shelf life is so stunted?' I thought, 'I can't work in an industry like this - it's sick'. Classical is what I was born to do, not pop".

So, there you go. Enjoy the rest of your day, you sick idiots.

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CALVIN ON COWELL, POP INNOVATION AND PINEAPPLES
Also commenting on the state of the pop business is Master Calvin Harris, interviewed on the Chris Moyles breakfast show on Radio 1 yesterday following his brief stage invasion on 'X-Factor' on Saturday night.

As previously reported, Harris - booked to guest on ITV2 spin off show 'Xtra Factor' - was frog marched out of the TV show's studios after he ran on stage during the latest musical routine from those Jedward twins with a pineapple on his head. Yesterday it was announced that the chart-topping hugely-in-demand critically-acclaimed pop-producer-come-superstar-DJ had been banned from the ITV talent show for life. Cos that's gonna hurt.

Despite insisting he was a fan of the show and the Jedward phenomenon, Harris told Moyles: "I'm a fan of music, I'm a fan of pop music. If you look at the chart, it's a frightening stranglehold that Simon Cowell has got over the entire music chart in the UK at the moment. It's really impressive but it's really frightening at the same time".

He continued: "It would be nice to see him use that power a little bit more creatively and maybe use - I don't know - interesting producers of music to make songs, because pretty much whatever he puts out by Leona or whoever is going to do incredibly well, so why not try and make the most amazing music that anyone has ever heard in their life? I think it just shows that he's not really a music fan".

When Moyles countered that Cowell isn't and has never claimed to be in the business of musical innovation, Calvin added: "Why can't he make groundbreaking music popular? The position he's put himself in he could change the whole country musically and make it amazing and it's annoying that he's not doing that. He's pretty much just releasing the same records again and again and again".

All very interesting, though as Moyles then asked: "You have a fairly serious point that you have obviously thought through long and hard, so, explain to me where the pineapple came in".

Harris: "The pineapple was to mimic the hair and it was the only available tool at the time in order to mimic J&E hair, and I think, to be honest, it did an incredible job. I was doing a gig in Birmingham with JLS [earlier on Saturday, and their rider included] a pineapple, but with no instrument with which to open the pineapple or anything like that. There was just a pineapple sat there in amongst the fruit. So I just took it with me".

Asked about the moment before his mini stage invasion, Harris said: "I was backstage. I was waiting to go on and I was listening to everyone taking it incredibly seriously. I was just inspired to make a mockery of the show. Because it is [just] a music competition, it is a joke and I think it should be treated as such. So when people were saying 'John and Edward, maybe they deserve to stay in this week', I was like 'Are you watching what I'm watching? It's terrible, it's terrible'. I need to get out there and basically, for the greater good of the nation, I wanted to go out there and make an idiot of myself and sort of just bring the whole show into another kind of area in which it's treated as kind of a joke".

Asked if the mini stage invasion - which was, in reality, a blink and you'll miss it incident - had been a success, Harris concluded: "It did everything I wanted to achieve, which was nothing".

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