Former ITV boss, Charles Allen, is taking control of EMI’s music business, after the surprise departure of chief executive Elio Leoni-Sceti. Leoni-Sceti will be leaving at the end of March after just 18 months with the firm. Allen’s previous experience at ITV, which he created by merging Granada with Carlton Communications, is likely to increase speculation that EMI is being lined up for a merger with Warner Music.

EMI has run into severe problems, with key acts defecting and profits crashing. The company has suffered turbulent relations with some of its top acts, most recently ending up in court with Pink Floyd (on which more HERE) and plunged £1.75bn into the red last year (more HERE). Allen says he has been closely involved in the creation of the company’s new business plan:

‘Elio and I have worked together for the last 14 months and he has decided that he has done what he came to do… what you have now got is a real focus on how do we drive new music, a focus on hits. These things do not happen overnight, you have to nurture new talent but the early signs are pretty positive.’ More in The Guardian HERE and HERE; Independent HERE; Times HERE and HERE; Telegraph HERE; and FT HERE.

Tech

Microsoft has raised the stakes in the battle to win over those who watch television on the internet by introducing the first serious rival to BBC’s iPlayer. The MSN Video Player went online today and will feature a thousand hours of television programming aimed at young people, young families and professionals. Rather than providing a ‘catch-up’ service similar to the iPlayer, on which people can see programmes for only a few days after they are shown, Microsoft says its service will let viewers to watch a full series.

The service is free, but viewers will be shown single 30-second advertisements before, during and after programmes. The player is available only in Britain. Ashley Highfield, now Microsoft’s UK consumer and online MD was previously one of the key figures behind the development of the iPlayer, which regularly processes more than 40 million programme requests a month. But Highfield now says that Microsoft’s product is superior to the internet offerings of other broadcasters:

‘Not all video players are equal… we’re doing more than slapping on any programme for people to watch. Our content is aimed at those who are tech-savvy and young. We want to feature content that goes down well with young couples and families who want to watch together.’ More in The Guardian HERE; Times HERE; and Telegraph HERE.

Google is to scan up to a million old books from national libraries in Rome and Florence in what it says is its first such partnership with a government. Flooding in Florence in 1966 destroyed thousands of books in the Tuscan city’s library. Mario Resca, from Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, said that the deal would help to preserve for ever the contents of books, including works by the 17th-century astronomer Galileo Galilei. Digitising the books would also help to spread Italian culture throughout the world, said Mr Resca. Google will cover the cost of scanning the books, all of them out-of-copyright Italian works, including 19th-century literature and 18th-century scientific volumes. More in The Guardian HERE; Times HERE; Telegraph HERE.

India is to embark on an ambitious scheme to provide all its 630,000 villages, no matter how remote, with broadband internet access. The plan is to use the internet to improve education and health services in areas blighted by poverty and to help to bridge the cultural chasms that still separate India’s regions and castes. It would also enable the country’s outsourcing businesses, clustered in cities such as Bangalore, to serve Western clients from the most isolated hamlets.

The government-run scheme will focus initially on the northeast, an area in the grip of several insurgent battles, as well as the poorest tribal and border regions, which often lack reliable mobile telephone coverage, let alone the internet. A spokesman for Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State for Communications and IT, confirmed the plans yesterday. A deadline of May 2012 has been set for giving broadband access to every village with a population of more than 300 people. Analysts say that the target is extremely ambitious. According to official figures, there are a mere 7.2 million broadband subscribers in India, a country with a population of 1.2 billion. Across the world about a quarter of the population is using the internet, according to a recent UN report. More in The Times HERE.

Theatre

Eleven-year-olds are to learn Shakespeare using techniques employed by Royal Shakespeare Company actors, and English teachers will be encouraged to let pupils walk around the classroom rather than reading the plays while sitting at their desks; exercises devised by the RSC and the Globe theatre will see children aged 11 to 14 mirror the methods of professional actors at rehearsal. RSC director of education, Jacqui O’Hanlon, says focusing on how actors came to understand the playwright’s language has been a vital inspiration:

‘Actors have the same nervousness around Shakespeare’s language as young people in schools do. We looked at how they get from that to a place of utter conviction, confidence and eloquence in six to eight weeks… Within the English curriculum you tend to look at a play text as a piece of literature rather than performance. But you can’t possibly understand Shakespeare’s words if you’re just reading it in your head. He wrote these plays to be spoken and performed. Shakespeare is difficult; it’s not a 21st-century text. You’ve got to use different mechanisms to access it.’ More in The Guardian HERE.

The Crafts Council yesterday celebrated the near 6,000 people who have so far signed up to its Craft Matters initiative with an event at the House of Lords hosted by Professor the Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey OBE.  The event launched the website www.craftmatters.org.uk, which provides a visual representation of Crafts Matters signatories to date with a ‘heat map’ of the UK showing signatories’ locations and a regularly updated ‘word cloud’ reflecting why people are saying that Craft Matters to them.

According to a Taking Part survey, 11% of the UK population visits a craft exhibition and 17% participating in a craft activity in 2008/09. Craft Matters was launched in October 2009 to encourage people to stand up and be counted as supporters of contemporary craft and to report why it is important to them.

Signatories include well-known names like long-term supporter Sir Terence Conran, choreographer Siobhan Davies CBE, who is currently collaborating with the 60Ι40 group of contemporary makers, and collector Sir John Tusa, alongside people who have been helped through illness by participating in craft activity.  Recurring themes include the human instinct to make things, craft as a connection between people and cultures, and as an antidote to an increasingly fragmented and fast-paced society; confirmation that people find craft to be a valuable contributor to the UK’s social, economic and cultural life.

Joanna Foster, CBE. Chair, Crafts Council

‘Craft is a feisty, independent-minded, sparky, polished gem…  it demands the maker’s time and skill and… repays through the pleasure of the objects themselves and the knowledge of the time and skill that has produced them… it is true ethical production.’

Craft Matters

Vaizey told delegates at a Westminster Media Forum event in London that Tory policy on the BBC, in particular, has been “wilfully misrepresented”.

He singled out a column in the Guardian last week by Jonathan Freedland [HERE], which argued that the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, had decided to axe services in an attempt to prevent the Tories from making more swingeing cuts if they form the next government. Freedland also said Thompson was right to fear the Conservatives would do this because of “two words: Rupert Murdoch”.

Vaizey responded today: “If a Conservative has any kind of critique of the BBC then somehow this a ‘Sky agenda’. I noticed that in Monday’s Media Guardian James Purnell, a former BBC employee, said BBC2 should only broadcast in the evenings. Nobody has written that to understand where James Purnell is coming from you just have to understand two words: Rupert Murdoch.”

He added: “There is a legitimate debate to be had about the [size] of the BBC.” The culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, had conceded as much, Vaizey argued.

Conservative opposition to the BBC Trust’s decision to close educational service BBC Jam demonstrated that the party did not have the corporation in its sights, he said.

“You shouldn’t lose sight of the fact the BBC has massive public support,” Vaizey said. “The idea that somehow there is any agenda to do down the BBC is completely laughable.”

Tory policy on the BBC was straightforward, he added. A Conservative government would replace the BBC Trust with an independent regulator and force it to be “more transparent about its finances”.

He said news organisations need to know how much the corporation spends on its news website in order to make judgments on how best to run their own online businesses.

Vaizey reiterated that Tory media policy is dictated by a “de-regulatory approach” but insisted he “liked Ofcom”.

The Conservative leader, David Cameron, last year set out plans to reduce Ofcom’s size and strip it of its policy-making powers.

“We felt there was a leadership vacuum from DCMS [the department of culture, media and sport] so Ofcom was driving policy. With a new and energetic Conservative government you would get leadership on media policy and Ofcom would return to its regulatory role,” Vaizey said.

He also said the Conservatives have no plans to privatise Channel 4 and defended the party’s proposals to fund rollout of high-speed broadband to rural areas with licence-fee money currently earmarked to meet the cost of digital switchover as “a perfectly sensible and intellectually coherent proposal”.

Vaizey added that the principle of using licence-fee money to fund other projects was now well-established.’

Original article HERE.

‘For those of us working to accelerate the pace of fibre rollout in the UK, February’s report from the Parliamentary Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on broadband [accessible HERE] made depressing reading… for the paucity of vision and lack of urgency shown by our legislators.

World leader?

The first paragraphs highlighted Britain’s leading role in the 19th century development of telegraphy, going on to say once again that the UK “faces the question of how best to maintain its position as one of the world leaders in electronic communications”.

Wake up, guys. The global rankings for fibre to the home published at the FTTH Conference in late February in Lisbon [see HERE] show we are far from being world leaders. According to the Fibre to the Home Council Europe, an industry-led body, Britain is unranked… It really is lamentable. Not only are Japan, South Korea, the US and China ahead of us, but so are Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Portugal and Bulgaria…

An Ofcom speaker at February’s FTTH Conference said this means Britain has 50 percent next-generation access coverage and so is doing very well. Perhaps. But only if you discount several key facts: BT and Virgin are largely competing for customers on the same territory; both technologies are heavily contended and heavily asymmetric, which means lower upstream bandwidth; and even more frustratingly for consumers, since VDSL is very distance-sensitive, we face the prospect of ‘up to’ speed offerings from ISPs for years to come…’ Full article HERE.

Independent Networks Co-operative Association

The short film was also YouTube’s 28th most-watched viral film in the world last week.

Extraordinarily, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton featured the film on the front page of his blog at the weekend (which you can see HERE). This is one of the most widely read blog sites in the world and his post almost certainly contributed to the film becoming a viral hit, as Hilton’s many followers went on to post it on their own blog, Twitter and Facebook sites.

The New York Times also featured the film in their blog HERE, as did the Washington Post HERE, with other coverage highlights including BBC and Channel 4 News; and The Independent and Guardian.

The BFI National Archive is committed to restoring and preserving Britain’s screen heritage and making it widely accessible to people, no matter where they live. For more information on the restoration of Alice in Wonderland (1903), you can go to bfi.org.uk, and HERE to see other films on the BFI’s YouTube channel.

Set in the 8.6 acre Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham, MAC was the brainchild of local philanthropist John English, the theatre writer and director, and his wife Alicia (Mollie) Randle. It was one of the first of a wave of arts centre developments in the 1960s, which sought to bring the arts out of conventional museums and theatres and into the heart of local communities.

Since its original conception as a centre for children and young people, MAC has grown to reach out to all ages and backgrounds in the community and is widely regarded as the most successful arts centre in the country, with more than half a million visitors a year drawn from across the whole of the West Midlands. It has played a creative role in the early stage of the careers of such artists as Mike Leigh, Tony Robinson, Adrian Lester, Imelda Staunton and Lesley Josephs. It is also home to SAMPAD; the national agency for South Asian Arts.

The original complex of buildings has now been dramatically transformed for a new generation. The developments include:

• A major new gallery for the display of contemporary art – the largest in the West Midlands;
• Refurbished theatre and cinema spaces;
• Rehearsal studios;
• Studio spaces for developing new work open to both professional and aspiring artists;
• Expansive foyers and café spaces, designed to be flooded with daylight;
• A newly landscaped terraced garden area with space for open air performances and relaxation;
• Artists have been involved in every stage of the process culminating in a series of commissions for elements of the building itself including wall and floor decorations, carpet and sculptures.

Dorothy Wilson, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of MAC, has worked for the organisation for twenty years, inspiring and leading the community and championing the arts as a force for transforming lives. She said:

‘Our audiences are what make MAC unique in Birmingham and an inspiration to everyone who believes in the value of a cultural life. We are proud and excited that, just as Birmingham has reached the shortlist to become UK City of Culture, we are able to open our doors to our community again. We are truly grateful to our major investment partners, Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England for their unstinting support and to the many individuals, companies, Trusts and Foundations who have supported our Capital Appeal.’

Midlands Art Centre

Tate Modern has been a catalyst both for the transformation of public attitudes to the visual arts in the UK and for the regeneration of north Southwark. It has become synonymous with groundbreaking artist projects, such as the celebrated Unilever Series, innovative Collection displays, a critically acclaimed exhibition programme and a highly renowned film and live performance programme.

• Over 45 million visitors have passed through the gallery’s doors since it first opened to the public ten years ago.
• Tate Modern is the world’s most visited gallery of modern art and is one of the UK’s top three free tourist attractions.
• Tate Modern has presented 52 exhibitions, staged over 135 performances, held around 400 film screenings, mounted ten Unilever Commissions and hosted one million school visits.
• Almost 3.5 million people have taken part in the gallery’s learning programme.
• Tate Modern contributes over £100 million in economic benefits to London annually.

For the tenth anniversary, Tate Modern will build on the participatory spirit of previous projects that celebrate the iconic Turbine Hall space, which is part gallery, part covered street, by inviting No Soul For Sale, the brainchild of artist Maurizio Cattelan and curators Cecilia Alemani and Massimiliano Gioni, to bring its anarchic, tongue-in-cheek sensibility to the Turbine Hall.

• On Tate Modern’s birthday there will be a special morning procession from Borough Market to the gallery of 300 local children, a band and cakes which are inspired by the building. Visitors will be invited to enjoy a slice of the birthday cakes on the day.
• Tate is also asking the public for their memories of Tate Modern over the last ten years. These will be used in a film that will tell the public’s story about the gallery. These stories, pictures and film clips will be gathered via Tate’s online blog, the Tate Modern Flickr Group, Facebook, Twitter and on YouTube.

It just gets better…

Tate is transforming Tate Modern with a major building project to increase the gallery and learning spaces. This is essential development of the gallery which is visited each year by around 5 million people in a building that was designed for 2 million. Tate also needs more varied spaces to show the ever-growing Collection. There will be 60% more display space in the new Tate Modern.

Tate Modern

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.

‘There is no shortage of cultural and creative talent in this country.  But breaking into the business, and turning talent into a job or career can be really difficult unless you come from a well-off or well-connected background.  This pilot scheme aims to help create a level playing field of opportunity so that real talent in the arts can get through, regardless of economic barriers.  It further demonstrates how the Government has nurtured creativity, ensuring that the past ten years have been a golden age for the arts.’

Ed has responded as follows:

‘As with several other recent Government announcements, it is not at all clear where the money for this scheme is coming from, which makes me wonder whether it actually exists, in which case I welcome it; or whether this is yet another cynical pre-election empty promise.

In any case, this programme will only make a small difference. In contrast, our proposals will unlock another £50 million a year for the arts from the lottery, and enable greater fundraising from the private sector. With these additional funds, arts organisations will be able to create new jobs across the sector as they see fit, creating many more opportunities for all arts graduates.’

The increase, to be brought into effect by an order laid in the House of Commons today, follows the six-year BBC funding settlement which began in April 2007.

The licence fee increase is set at three per cent for the first two years of the settlement and two per cent in years three, four and five. This is year four. The government says any increase (of up to two per cent) in year six will be set nearer the time.