THOMPSON ANNOUNCES BBC CUT PROPOSALS
BBC Director General Mark Thompson has announced details of the much reported proposals to make cuts to the organisation's various outputs.

Speaking to staff, he confirmed that both the 6music and Asian Network digital radio stations faced closure, and that there should be 25% less spent on the BBC's online operations by 2013. Also facing closure are teen services Switch and Blast, which Thompson said were more suited to the remit of Channel 4. He also pledged that in future, 90p of every £1 raised through the license fee would be spent on programming.

Radio 2, while not facing closure, was told that it needs to "sharpen its distinctiveness in its range of music and speech", while the BBC's local stations should increase quality and share more programming during off-peak times.

Thompson's aim with these proposals is to placate critics who say that the BBC is treading on the toes of commercial rivals, and pre-empt forced cutbacks if and when the Conservatives, who say the corporation has expanded too far, get into power following this year's General Election. The closure of 6music and Asian Network fits more with the latter, neither being particularly commercially viable services, though both, Thompson said, would remain on air until at least the end of next year.

The proposals will now be considered by the BBC Trust, which recently recommended that 6music should do more to promote itself and gain more listeners. The Trust are rumoured to be strongly against the closure of 6music and Asian Network, but you can show your support by emailing trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

PRINCE TODDLER CASE MIGHT FORCE CONTENT OWNERS TO BE MORE CAREFUL WHEN ISSUING TAKE-DOWNS AND CEASE AND DESISTS
So, we reported last week that there was new chatter to the effect that Prince might be suing YouTube again, but it turns out that what was really happening was a new set of legal wrangling regards that most classic of Prince-related web litigation, when Prince's publishers Universal got legal with an American woman who posted a video clip of her toddler-aged son dancing to 'Let's Go Crazy'. And the latest development could have interesting ramifications for the legal departments of record companies and music publishers.

It was in 2007 that Stephanie Lenz got a scary looking legal letter from Universal Music Publishing telling her that the video clip of her child dancing for the camera with a Prince track playing in the background, which she had posted onto YouTube, infringed the copyrights of the publisher and their artist. Lenz initially complied with Universal's order and took down the video, but then she got talking to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who reckoned her video was covered by so called 'fair use' provisions in US copyright law, meaning she'd never infringed anyone's copyright.

They took the matter to court and a judge declared that the music used in the dancing toddler video was indeed covered by the 'fair use' provisions. Not happy with just occupying the moral high ground, Lenz and the EFF then went after Universal for damages, accusing the major music publisher of negligently issuing a meritless takedown notice which had caused Lenz emotional stress.

Responding to the damages claim, Universal provided various arguments as to why they should not be liable, including accusing Lenz of acting in bad faith and with 'unclean hands' in pursuing damages. But a Californian judge has been considering those arguments of late and has now rejected them, ruling partially in favour of Lenz.

That said, while it seems likely that Lenz will now be able to demand Universal pay her and the EFF's legal fees, it is unlikely she'll be able to claim any actual damages. It also seems unlikely Lenz will be able to claim even legal costs for the latest round of legal action, ie the fighting of the publisher's claims that they shouldn't have to pay anything. So I'm not sure who the real winner here is.

But, certainly, if this case means that the issuing of meritless takedown notices could make the issuer liable for the alleged infringer's legal costs in proving the original claim has no merit, well that would mean that lawyers for the music majors might have to be a bit more careful before sending out the customary cease and desist letters against those they suspect may be infringing their copyrights.

back to top

MEN BEHIND CALIFORNIAN MEGA-TOUT OPERATION CHARGED
Four ticket touts in California have been charged with illegally buying and reselling tickets to sought after concerts, including gigs by Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, and the Hannah Montana show.

It seems these particular touts fell foul of Californian law by developing software which enabled them to buy large numbers of tickets from the likes of Ticketmaster - in breach of maximum ticket purchase rules - without the official ticketing agents realising such large quantities of tickets were actually going to one company.

That company, Wiseguy Tickets, then sold on the tix they had acquired at a considerable mark up. It is thought that for one Spingsteen gig, the touts controlled 440 of the general admission tickets for the concert. Overall the scam is thought to of generated a massive $25 million in profits, which is rather a lot.

back to top

ROPEY WHITNEY PERFORMANCES DOWN TO THE FAGS
Whitney Houston's recent live performances in Australia have been panned by many critics and fans after the singer failed to hit the high notes in her song and had to take regular breaks to catch her breath.

As previously reported, last week promoter Andrew McManus hit out at the critics, who he said where the "vocal minority" among a plethora of happy customers, saying: "If they expected to hear Whitney of 20 years ago, go buy a CD".

McManus has now also said that Whitney's cigarette habit might have a role in causing her weaker singing voice. He told WENN: "Whitney smokes. God bless her, I can't tell her not to. It is what it is. She's comfortable with the show she's performing. She knows she's not hitting every note like she used to. But it's value for money, it's Whitney Houston warts and all".

He added that her take on the controversy surrounding her recent shows is an unusual one, continuing: "I talked to her after the Sydney show. I told her I have her back but she said: 'If the good Lord wants me to be attacked and ridiculed that's the road I have to go down'. It's an interesting approach. Here I am being aggressive in trying to protect her and she said: 'I love you for it but let it go. I can only give my best, if that's not good enough, so be it. I'm comfortable in my own skin'".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

GOULDING HYPED INTO HOSPITAL
Ellie Goulding has revealed that her sharp ascent to fame landed her in hospital after a friendly comment from Florence Welch, who, of course, won the BRITs Critics Choice awards the year before Ellie.

Goulding told The Times: "Before Christmas, I started to get very, very uncalm. I did a gig with Florence And The Machine, who came up to me, squeezed me and said she kept playing my song over and over again. So I did the usual, 'Oh my God, that's great', very casual, but there were two [Ellies in the room] at the same time.One was me going, 'Aaargh' and the other was really calm. They clashed that night. These two people bumped into each other, and it was a disaster. I ended up feeling really upset and weird, it felt like having a heart attack. I actually went to A&E. I think that was a warning: that my body had to deal with the other person".

She added that the sharp switch from anonymity, to acclaim, to harsh criticism hasn't helped matters, either. She continued: "You go from no assurance, to not believing it when it comes, and on to criticism. I think that's why I'm probably particularly sensitive to it. I didn't do this in order to be able to say, 'Come on, then, bring it on, give me some fucking criticism'. The album is innocent. I am going to get criticism, and I have to deal with it, but I will probably pick up on it more because I feel that's how it's always been".

Her debut album, 'Lights', was released yesterday. It's up on Spotify already, should you want to form a quick opinion on it.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

GURU IN A COMA
Rapper Guru, probably best known as one half of Gang Starr, but also, of course, an accomplished solo artist, is in a coma after suffering a heart attack. According to his Gang Starr cohort, producer DJ Premier, he was due to undergo surgery yesterday.

Meanwhile, MC Solar, who has worked with Guru on some of his recent solo outings, told Us Magazine: "Guru is struggling with a serious health issue. We appreciate all your love and well wishes. we continue to hold out hope that Guru will make a full recovery from this, and ask that his privacy on this matter be respected".

It's not known what the serious health issue is.

back to top

HALL & OATES BASSIST DIES
Renowned bass player Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk, best known for his work with Hall & Oates, died last Saturday after suffering a heart attack, it has been confirmed.

In a long career as both a producer and bassist, Wolk worked with numerous artists, including Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Laurie Anderson, Robert Palmer, Elvis Costello and Shawn Colvin. He even appeared on Kurtis Blow's 1981 track 'The Breaks', one of the first big rap hits, and regularly played with the 'Saturday Night Live' band.

Paying tribute to Wolk, Daryl Hall said in a statement yesterday: "To say that I am shocked is the ultimate understatement. T-Bone was my musical brother and losing him is like losing my right hand. It's not if I will go on, but how. T-Bone was one of the most sensitive and good human beings that I have ever known. And, I can truly say that I loved him".

back to top

TWO PUSSYCAT DOLLS QUIT
Following Jessica Sutta's announcement that she was no longer part of The Pussycat Dolls in January, two more members, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts, have officially confirmed their departure from the group, though neither referenced the other in their statements.

The announcements aren't particularly surprising. The group's founder and choreographer, Robin Antin, said in December that the Dolls would return at some point in 2010 with a more or less new line-up, but said that it would still centre on frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger. She told MTV: "It's Nicole and a couple of new faces. Some of the girls want to go and do their own thing. We're moving on".

Wyatt, who revealed last year that she was working on a solo album and has variously expressed a distate for Scherzinger, told Loaded on Friday: "I've left the group. I am so thankful for everything the Pussycat Dolls [have] brought into my life. But I have to say there were just too many variables that I couldn't agree with and I had to follow my heart. So I decided to kind of push on with my own life".

She continued: "Money and fame can't buy happiness. Ultimately I think that happiness is the most important thing in life and I think that once I started to get to know myself more and more I was like, 'You know, I don't think that happiness is within this group right now'.I wish that it was different because I love what we do on stage. I love being a Doll, but as far as the variables off-stage are concerned - I just couldn't do it anymore".

Roberts, meanwhile, said via her own website on Saturday: "It's time to answer your question. Yes, I have left the Pussycat Dolls ... It was an amazing ride and I learned so much!I currently have gotten the acting bug and am falling in love with it. I have a few projects in the works and ...I am also in the studio recording some of my own music".

A new album by the latest incarnation of The Pussycat Dolls is expected to be released later this year.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

AKERCOCKE GUITARIST QUITS
Ackercocke guitarist Matt Wilcock has announced that he is leaving the extreme metal band due to musical differences. However, he insisted in a statement that there was no bad blood between him and the other members of the band, adding that he'll still work with drummer Dave Gray on their other project, The Antichrist Imperium. His final shows with the band will be four dates supporting Dark Funeral on their UK tour.

Wilcock said: "After five years with Akercocke and a lot of good times, it's now time for me to move on. Musically, I'm differing a bit with the natural path that Akercocke's taking, so it's best for me to part ways now. There's no shit between anyone, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to going out with a bang (or blast) on these last four shows".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

CALE DOESN'T THING ANOTHER VELVET UNDERGROUND REUNION LIKELY
We had a bit of a Velvet Underground day in the office the other day, and wondered if they were due another reunion yet. It seems not.

Look, here's what John Cale has to say on the matter. He told the BBC: "It's not something that I can see happening. Whatever the Velvet Underground did they've done, and it's in the past. I respect that people admire what we did, that's gratifying, but I'm in such a different place with what I think songwriting is these days".

I can't remember whether Cale and Lou Reed are talking these days. Certainly they didn't part on especially good terms after the band's last proper reunion in 1996, and Cale didn't take part in that Q&A session in New York with other surviving members of the band last year.

back to top

ROBYN TO RELEASE THREE ALBUMS IN 2010
After releasing her eponymous fourth album three times, Robyn is taking a different approach this time around and instead is releasing three separate albums in one year. The singer revealed in an interview with Swedish magazine Bon that the first would arrive in the spring, followed by one during the summer and another towards the end of the year.

Amongst the new songs, fans can expect a "rap duel" with Snoop Dogg, plus tracks produced by the likes of Röyksopp, Diplo, Klas Åhlund, Andreas Kleerup, Patrik Berger and Savage Skulls.

back to top

FOALS ANNOUNCE UK TOUR DATES
Foals have announced that they will head out on a UK tour starting next month in support of the release of their second album, 'Total Life Forever', which is due out on 10 May. They will also be releasing a new single, 'This Orient', on 3 May.

You can download another new track, 'Spanish Sahara', right now from www.foals.co.uk

Tour dates:

29 Apr: Liverpool, Kazimier
30 Apr: Newcastle, University
2 May: Glasgow, ABC
3 May: Leeds, Metropolitan University
4 May: Manchester, Ritz
6 May: Cambridge, The Junction
7 May: Nottingham, Trent University
8 May: Bristol, Anson Rooms
10 May: London, Electric Ballroom
12 May: Oxford, O2 Academy
14 May: Dublin, Ambassador

Tickets go on sale on 12 Mar.

back to top

-------------------------------------------------

QUEEN OF HOXTON IS ONE
The Queen Of Hoxton club pub whatnot celebrates its first birthday this week, and they've got some special events to celebrate.

Tonight Danish disco punk trio WhoMadeWho are playing, tomorrow The Light Surgeons will appear while Art Brut will lead a session of Indie Bingo, and on Thursday things will go arty with the re-launch of the newly decorated Queen Of Hoxton gallery. The Hackney Colliery Band will be playing on Friday night, which seems like the highlight of the week to me, and on Saturday the venue will host Hoodwink with appearances from the likes of Maurice Fulton (DFA/Tirk), Ray Mang (DFA/Mangled) and Get Shakes.

So that's all lovely. More info, I would suspect, at www.thequeenofhoxton.co.uk

back to top

FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE

THE GREEN MAN FESTIVAL, Glanusk Park, Usk Valley, Powys, Wales, 20-22 Aug: Multi-talented singer and harpist Joanna Newsom has been confirmed as the Sunday night headliner for this year's Green Man. Other additions to the line-up include Fionn Regan, First Aid Kit, Henrys Funeral Shoe, Megafaun, The Unthanks and Voice Of The Seven Thunders. www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk

V FESTIVAL, Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire, 21-22 Aug: Kings Of Leon and Kasabian have been announced to headline this year's V Festival. They will be joined by Stereophonics, Faithless, The Prodigy, David Guetta, The Kooks, Paul Weller, Paolo Nutini, Florence And The Machine, Pet Shop Boys and Cheryl Cole. www.vfestival.com

back to top

SINGLE REVIEW: First Aid Kit - I Met Up With The King (Wichita)
Swedish teenage sisters. Three words that must have brought so much happiness to so many men since the invention of the internet. There's a purer talent on display here though, with Klara and Johanna Söderberg both so young, yet so adept in creating soulful, beautiful, simple music that soothes like a fireplace after a walk in the snow. A particular subtle highlight of their debut album, 'I Met Up With The King' aches with sibling harmonies, assured strumming and soft accompaniment, each purposely old-fashioned in its way. Two teenagers picking past elegance over modern bombast, and singing like it's the most natural thing in the world. TM

Release Date: 8 Mar
Press Contact: Radar Maker [all]

Buy from iTunes
Buy from Amazon

back to top

JD SET TO RECREATE SOME CLASSIC TUNES
The latest incarnation of Jack Daniel's music programme the JD Set will see bands grouping in one of three cities to recreate a seminal album from days gone by. The participating bands will record together for a week, with footage of their collaborations filmed for a TV show and the JD Set website. They will also perform songs from their assigned album at a special JD Set live night.

The first album to be recreated with be The Human League's 'Dare', this one in London and involving some rather fine Wall Of Sound signed acts, including CMU favourites Infadels plus The Shortwave Set and Shy Child. They will collaborate on the project in mid-April and play the results of their work live at Dingwalls in Camden on 5 May.

The second record to be recreated will be Buzzcocks EP 'Spiral Scratch' in Manchester. The Whip, Dutch Uncles, I Am Kloot and Charlotte Hatherly will be involved in that, with their live show taking place on 27 May at Band On The Wall. The third set of collaborations will take place in Glasgow with Malcolm Middleton, thecocknbullkid, James Yuill and Casiokids working on cover versions of Madonna's greatest hits, no less. They will play their tunes live on 17 Jun at Glasgow's ABC2.

Info on and footage of the collaborations will be posted at www.thejdset.co.uk

back to top

UNIVERSAL PROFITS UP FOR QUARTER, DOWN FOR THE YEAR
The Universal Music Group had a good last quarter of its last financial year, with profits up 11.9% year on year (18.7% when currency fluctuations are taken into account), despite revenues being down. Which is all lovely. Unfortunately for the year as a whole revenues were down 6.2% while profits were down 15.5% to 580 million euros. Digital sales, though, were up again, as you'd presumably expect.

We know all this because financials have been released by Universal's parent company Vivendi. Management there remain cautious, despite losses being down and overall results being better than expected, mainly due to boosts in the French conglom's gaming and telecom divisions.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

EMI TOP MAN SAYS HIS BUSINESS PLAN WILL BE A "GOOD PLAN"
So, is EMI Music top man Elio Leoni-Sceti confident he can convince the financial backers of the music firm's owners Terra Firma to stump up $189 million by May to stop Citigroup seizing control of the major for failing to meet its loan commitments? Some seem to think that whether or not the money is forthcoming will depend on his in-development business plan for the next few years of the music major's recorded music division.

Speaking to Management Today magazine, the actually quite popular EMI chief says: "I'm confident the business plan we present will be a good plan. I can only do my job. I'm staying focused on delivering a vision for this business - I'm very dedicated to EMI".

But Elio, will Terra Firma's investors think it is worth pumping yet more money into EMI? "If I was an investor, I would carefully scrutinise the business case for EMI. I would look at where the music industry is and look at the risk. I would assess how we propose to deal with that risk. In the end, it depends on how risk-prone [the investors] are". It does indeed.

You can read MT's interview with the EMI Music chief at this here URL:
www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/985298/the-mt-interview-elio-leoni-sceti-emi-music/

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

WARNER UK APPOINT NEW CLASSICAL CHIEF
Warner Music yesterday announced it had appointed John Kelleher to the new job of Head of Warner Classic & Jazz. Reporting to the major's UK CFO Simon Robson, Kelleher will oversee strategy and business development for all of the classical and jazz labels that fall under the Warner UK banner. Kelleher has already been advising the major on classical projects on a consultancy basis for the best part of nine years.

Robson told CMU: "We're delighted to have an executive with John's passion, experience and commercial acumen at the helm of WCJ. With a team that is nimble, innovative and deeply knowledgeable about these genres, an exciting future lies ahead. We are strongly placed to offer new ways for fans to discover, own and enjoy content from the label's stunning spectrum of artists, whether they are house-hold names or newly discovered stars of tomorrow".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

COLUMBIA PR APPOINTMENTS
Sony's Columbia UK division has made some press and promo appointments. Pete Black moves from a job at Warner to be Columbia's Head Of Promotions, Michael Cleary comes to the major from Beggar's XL Recordings to a new job as Senior Press Office, while James Hopkins is promoted from within to the role of Head Of Press.

Columbia MD Mike Smith told CMU: "Columbia enjoys a rich and varied roster and so much of our success comes down to the good work we have been able to do promoting these artists across radio, TV and press. I'm delighted at the arrival of Pete and Michael and congratulate James on a richly deserved promotion. I'd also like to thank Jo Burgess who has decided to take a break from work following the birth of her first child for doing a magnificent job for us as head of promotions for a number of years".

back to top

CHART OF THE DAY

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. Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (Warner/Roadrunner)
3. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures (Sony)
4. HIM - Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice (Warner Bros)*
5. Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits (Sony Music)
6. Nickelback - Dark Horse (Warner/Roadrunner)
7. Queen - Absolute Greatest (EMI)
8. Journey - Greatest Hits (Sony Music)
9. Daughtry - Leave This Town (Sony Music)
10. Bon Jovi - The Circle (Universal/Mercury)
11. The Who - Greatest Hits/Greatest Hits Live (Universal Music)
12. Guns n Roses - Greatest Hits (Universal/Geffen)
13. Pearl Jam - Backspacer (Universal Music)
14. Lostprophets - The Betrayed (Visible Noise)
15. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue (EMI/Parlophone)
16. Fleetwood Mac - The Very Best Of (Warner Bros)
17. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (Warner Bros)
18. Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness (Warner/Atlantic)
19. Kiss - Sonic Boom (Warner/Roadrunner)
20. Billy Talent - III (Warner/Atlantic)

back to top

GEFFEN'S NOT VAIN, SAYS CARLY SIMON
Carly Simon has denied that her song, 'You're So Vain', is about music mogul David Geffen, branding the claims a "funny mistake".

As reported yesterday, Simon recently told Uncut Magazine: "You know what, I'm just going to tell you this. The answer is on the new version of 'You're So Vain', on my new record 'Never Been Gone'. There's a little whisper and it's the answer to the puzzle".

The Sun then insisted that, upon listening to said song, they clearly heard her whisper "David Geffen", thus bringing the whole mystery to an end. The paper added that the reason was his decision to put more effort into promoting Joni Mitchell while he was head of the label both women were signed to at the time, Elektra. I'm not sure if they heard her whisper that, though.

Anyway, in an email to showbiz411.com, Simon said yesterday: "What a riot! Nothing to do with David Geffen! What a funny mistake! Someone got a clue mistaken for another mistake! How can this guessing game stop without a lie?"

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

CAMERON CLAIMS TO HAVE DELAYED TAKE THAT REUNION
David Cameron has claimed that he delayed the first meeting of Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams for nearly fifteen years when he went backstage to speak to Gary Barlow, who lives in the politician's Oxford constituency, at concert in aid of Children In Need last November. Of course, according to Robbie, by the point, the band had already been in the studio together in LA, but maybe no one actually spoke during that period.

Anyway, let's not deny Cameron his moment in the sun. He told Heart 106.2: "I heard this commotion behind me and I didn't turn around straight away - typical politician, I carried on yakking away - and then I turned around and it was Robbie Williams. I said: 'Oh my God, I'm sorry. I don't want to get in the way of this'. And he said something like: 'I've been waiting fourteen years, another couple of minutes won't make any difference'. I got out of the way and thought I had better get back to my seat quickly".

back to top