Unless I'm forgetting something really obvious it's been a quiet year for the music press and music television - though given the advertising recession that is starting to bite that's probably a good thing, because a "busy year" would be much more likely to involve magazines and TV stations disappearing than new ones launching. With reports of job cuts at all the major publishers and broadcasters, the pessimist inside me predicts 2009 will be busier media news wise - though for all the wrong reasons.
But what did happen in print and telly this year? Well, NME continued to expand its brand, this time launching awards in the US and a radio station in the UK. The much heralded partnership between Drowned In Sound and Sky TV came to a sudden halt, but not before it had resulted in three new music websites, mostly notable the rather good The Quietus. Clash magazine pledged to radically expand its online operations after securing a bucket load of cash from the Scottish government (they being based in Scotland). And there was talk of more publications going free - Metro style - Time Out the most obvious contender - though cover prices remain in place for the time being.
In TV, The Hits became Channel 4's full time music channel, 4Music, following C4's acquistion of half of its parent company Box Television in 2007. Channel 4 launched a plethora of new music programmes, though none to replace the much missed Amstell/Oliver-era 'Popworld'. Amstell continued to entertain, however, on his sort-of music-based show 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks', which really has risen to new heights of brilliance since acquiring its new host in 2006, and despite losing popular team captain Bill Bailey in its second run this year (a series of guest captains replaced him - personally I'd get guest captain James Corden in as a regular if it was up to me).
The BBC also dabbled with some new music formats in its yoof slots, though nothing could stop industry types harking back to the good old days of 'Top Of The Pops'. When the Beeb announced that the TOTP Christmas Special, which had so far outlived the weekly show, would not be broadcast this year there was outrage, and calls for the iconic music telly brand to return full time began anew. The BBC refused to enter into discussions about the show, but did stage something of a u-turn announcing not only would there be the Christmas special, but there'd be a New Year special too.
Of course without TOTP it's hard for the music business to get their acts into prime time on BBC 1, and the one slot that did exist abruptly disappeared when 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross' was axed to the glowing approval of Daily Mail readers everywhere. Something which brings us nicely to...