r 'T INSIDE MJI-IIMI Singles chart, 6-7; Album chart,New Albums,21; New Singles,20; Airplay 23; guide,14-15; Retailing,18-19; Small 8. labels, rri>i i,' i ^ March 16, 1981 VOLUME THREE Number 50 Big response Factory closure to Televideo rumours denied TV campaign THE LAUNCH of direct response by angry Ellis Televideovideo software has andbeen equipment hailed as companya major RCA RECORDS md Don Ellis has ago when I stressed that PRT is not successlongterm after TV just advertising one week ofcampaign. a projected describedday newspaper as "absolutely report that untrue" the company a Sun- closing."'sideswiped' Ellis by feelsthe newspaperthat RCA which was Teledata - the company which hand- was about to close its Washington could not get information about the 2,200les viewer's calls telephonetjefore midnight enquiries following - logged distributionpressing plant centre. and West Bromwhich aboutPRT situation, the effect. and is naturally worried the screening of the first 90-second An angry Ellis issued a categorical The story said that RCA was having LondonIt claims thisarea iscommercial the biggest responselast Monday. for a denial on Monday and was scathing in talks with Thorn-EMI and CBS and BUSINESS IS chUd's play as RCA md TV promotion in its history, exceeding hisrepeating criticism the of much-voiced the piece which rumour began that by distributionother companies when to arrange Washington pressing and Don Ellis watches Barney Cantrell, the Tellydisc direct-response disc- PRT was about to be shut down by West Bromwich were closed. Ellis marketing and confectionery adviser callsselling for results, free holiday and even brochures. the volume of ATV. claims that the only talks taking place tolabel Zilch deal. Records signing a licensed "The projections from this kind of ingPRT that has it alsois operatingdenied the profitably story, claim- at were"Our the seven-inch result of recordssuccess havenot failure.been so Zilch was founded by Fred Cantrell response are enormous," said a Tele- present. It is up for sale but in no danger hot that out pressing facilities have been (chairman) and John Knowles (md) Tellydiscvideo spokesman. experience "In it looksview asof if the of imminent closure. "The story was a operating at full capacity since the and hasLast signed Touch. Sean RCA Tyla, has Skyscraperslicensed for video company is going to surpass it in lotrek ofHoney. nonsense," "The commented situation hasmd De-not outsidebeginning to of meet the year. requirements," We have had tosaid go the world excluding America, Canada volume terms." Television techniques changed from RB's story of four weeks Ellis. and France. recordshave enabled so far. Tellydisc to sell 500,000 outright"Of the requests 2,200 calls for received, product, 350 while were Sales call cuts likely after budget 1,130 who called asked for catalogues or wage settlements, and movies,"wanted rental he continued. details on the quoted Apersonal FURTHER contact cut-back between in record the level com- of withNevertheless, a sales force for in a themajor region company of 40 couldn't be passed on to th "And 25 percent of callers did not pany salesmen and the retail trade strong, all covering a minimum bybenefit an increaseof a two in percent record dropprices, in the rentown aa videoGranada recorder machine and were under keen the to ofseems last week'sthe most Budget likely with direct its alarmingoutcome additionalmileage a costyear of of at 20,000least £10,000 miles, peran Bank Rate would be lost. jointly-run special offer mentioned in increase in the cost of petrol. year in fuel charges will have to be chandisers,Hasan Akhtar, took mdthe ofview Record that Mer- the theTelevideo commercials." participants Bertlesmann tendencyHowever, might whereas have beenin the to pastcombat the absorbednot to be somewhere,trimmed. if call cycles are improvement in trading conditions (through its Eurodisc UK subsidiary) such a move by a greater reliance on At PRT, managing director Derek yearwhich would had been not predictednow materialise for later until this Televideoand Hutton by advertisingthe Intervision are joinedcompany in increasedtelephone phonesales, pricesthe last means round that of containHoney commented:the extra costs"We shallwithin try our to much later. "I am mainly concerned which is offering a 175-title catalogue there would be little if any gain. "GPO existing overall costs and cut back on onabout consumer the effect spending," the Budget he said. will "Thehave mostlyIntervision on sale isor claimingrental. a spin-off thecharges cost haveof distribution done more than to anythingincrease calls.the daily There mileage is no pointand thein making number a 50of only thing we could have looked effect from the TV commercials with its the Chancellor has done with the price mile trip to sell a couple of albums." costsforward was to increased as a way volume, of offsetting but I turnoverfour London of Televideostores noticing moveies a highersince ofMaurice petrol," Obcrstein. commented CBS chairman inevitablyObcrstein stimulate felt that demands the Budget for would high- don't see it being easy to come by." screening of the TV commercials began. mm. news Staff cuts are Our ILR stations needletime Price survival plan FACED WITH the problems of absorb- during a difficult year and the directors appeal closer monthsing the ago,Harlequin in the continuing chain, bought economic 15 recession. Our Price has been forced to all the shops up to the quality the chain ISLAND HAS clinched the signatures year^Performiiyear's Performing Rightappeal Tribunal against deci- last lay-offBut director staff. Mike Isaacs told RB that One shop in the chain - the largest tract.of The The Bureau band is pictured _at the royalties their PPL needletime things are not as black indicated by independent in the country - is to close. ceremony with Keith Aspden (Island The Tribunal altered the system by recent"We industryhave had rumour to rationalise the The belease renewed of the whenHaymarket it expires stor will MusicComish creative(Island director)Music andmanaging Pete which the stations pay to play discs, with workforce as part of the process of However Our Price has taken its Upton director) in the Radlarge0 companies like London's Capital refining the company. When a chain of Park off the' market,. •having • de-. ger —Dave Cork- .. hidden at the back. The ~ "' paid 'less on a slidingwhile smallerscale calcu- sta- to17 betakes problems on another to overcome. 41 there are We bound have cided "ts location in bureau's first single 'Only For Sheep' "lated " against"* ' advertising revenue. wasnever required known andexactly these what things workforce are now JusticeOn Tuesday Falconer in ruled the thatHigh the Court Tribunal Mr. being"Our resolved," Price is trying he said. to keep expenses Judge tells management decision.should now give fuller reasons for their down to a minimum and we are working co. to return LP artwork This will assist the radio stations in ontrial a recipein the for Kingssurvival. Road, The selfCroydon, service WELL-KNOWN album cover artist ingthe throughHigh Court the AppealAssociation they ofare Indepen- mount- Kensington and Charing Cross Road, Roger Dean won a High Court ac,ion was entitled to damages for what it dent Radio Contractors against the has been abandoned and these shops las, week when a judge ordered World- might have made in posters or post- refusal to cut royalties to a nominal rate. have been refined for counter service. In a counterclaim in which World- The ILR stations were paying £2.4 heService added. is what Our Price is all about," wide had sued Dean for £5,619, repre- million per year in 1978 when they asked Isaacs commented that Our Price had work it had commissioned in 1974 and senting repayment of a loan and ii for a cut. Ltd quintaken shopson the which task ofhad restocking been r Harle-emn^ I Kempster eniereu juugmeni ior wonowioe, out (i rjuj — uic uuuy lu wiuvn v toQC return ordered the theartwork management to Dean companywithin 28 forgranted lawyers a stay to ofwork execution out how for much 28 days of companiesbroadcast copyrightassign the in publictheir recordsu - RCA releases days or pay it's value which he asses- that figure could be used to offset - and the AIRC have already spent more UK Eurosong sedWorldwide at £5,500. to payThe £3,300 judge damages also ordered plus WorldwideDean's award. to payThe the judge costs also of ordered Dean's thethan long-drawn-out £1 million between legal battle.them fightingNo date THE UNITED Kingdom's en- of the ' artwork,for alleged used wrongful on albums detention by action against them. has been set for the proposed appeal. Songtury in Contest the forthcoming to be held Eurovision in Dublin Snafu and Bobby Harrison. at Easter will be 'Making Your behalfofWorldwideThe judge rejected that arguments the copyright EMI, and WEA have resolved solve their dealer MOPS price. row (RCAMind Up'56). performed by Bucks Fizz EMI think EMI and WEA are now going The winning song in the BBC's painted o a year and liked h fmal quarter of last y to make good the shortfall for the fourth Song For Europe competition held t e — upted three reeks ago "Wequarter are of 1980,"now examiningMontgomery the told RCA RB. last Wednesday is written by Andy do the work for when MCPS managing director Bob" ' We have received a letter from byHill Stave/Nickelodeon. and John Danter and It published was re- Worldwide he retained copyright and Montgomery accused EMI, WEA and the company and we are looking t the leased