rtC6MZ.*J Imusic week For Everyone in the Business of Music 12 IVSARCH 1994 £2.80 Malaysia pulls Smiths expects plug on Brits TVbroadcast Initial TVs Brit Awards télévision Malaysianshow has beengovemment's caught uptrade in banthe againstPlans UKfor eompanies.Malaysian TV to broad- OFÎ green fight east the show in a fortnight's time - givingStereo exposureMCs, the toPet aets Shop including Boys, WH Smith expects the Monopolies and Smith UK retailing managing director HarveyDina Carroll, among othersBjork - andhave Pollybeen eightMergers weeks Commission its takeover to approve of Virginwithin GroupPeter MDTroughton Trevor Abbott.and Virgin Retail pulledPolyGram over the TélévisionUK link. Inter- toRetail, nearly which one-third raises of the UK group'smusic sales. share Wednesday,The agreement, sees Smiths finalised taking ona OurIf Pricethe move managing is passed director by the Richard MMC, national,the programme which abroad,is selling is rightsrefusing to VirginThe moveunder will one merge management Our Price board and increasingmajority interest its initial in 50% Virgin 1991 invest-Retail, SmithHandover Group will position", receive Burke"a senior says. WH but insiders suggest olyand threshold take Smiths of 25%well aboveset by thethe monop- MMC. lyment represent to 75%. anOur estimated Price's sales 19% current- of the focusThe for agreement the 305-store will provideOur Price a clearer chain, couidThe beplanned saved. Malaysian broad isBut likely. Smiths believe consent to the deal andmarket, Smiths' with own-brandVirgin accounting stores takingfor 6% smallerwhich willoutlets, now Burke concentrate adds. Virgin on willits struck since the awards, which SimonVirgin Burke, Retail who managing will head thedirector new theBurke group saystotal theto just 50:50 under agreement 30%. of itcontinue current to 24 develop shops. itsThe Megastores implications from of Palacetook place on Februaryat London's 14. AlexandraThe show structure,OFT at an says early Smiths stage approached of talks with the the past three years did not ] unclear,the takeover but Burke for individual admits some stores redun- are attractedThe restrictions 10.5m viewers were in orderedthe UK. Virgindeal. The in orderagreement to clear is thea sensitive way for onethe thanon expansion agreeing of onthe whattwo [brandsj was best rather for danciesAs part will of be the necessary. reorganisation, Virgin lasternment month bywhich the Malaysianis furious gov- industry,given the MMCwhich investigationis likely to considerinto the everyone.mum out of Now each webrand," can gethe says. the maxi- KewRetail Bridge will move in London. to the Our It Priceis expected HQ at thatabout UK Sunday construction Times fîrmsallégations paid allegedThe OFTretail is monopolies. due to pass on its find- chiefThe executivenew joint Simonboard willBurke, comprise WH thattrative a number jobs will of be fmancial combined. and adminis- bribeslucrative to contracts.officiais in exchange for theIflhenewdealgets go-ahead, Virgin directorRetail managing Simon Limited4 track Edition CD IMumberedDigi - pack Virgin Group in 1987 asmanager corporate before finance Virgintaking Retailthe helmat in 1988. Polf dor lises key A&R staff A&RTwo keydepartment, staff are seven leaving months Polydor's after ters, and Feargal just felti corporate it wasn't mat- the newDevlin A&R says director he is as not Lucian looking Grange for talentthe entire team PolyGram joined the Music label. Publishing placeCarpenter for him isto now be." working from home hasThe taken changes over Carpenter'scorne after Grainge rôle. was resignedA&R director after more Graham than Carpentersix years with has sibilityas a part-time for six consultant acts, including with respon- Cathy broughtCarpenter in willabove continue Carpenter to lastreport July. to the label, just a few days after A&R Dennis, the Wonderstuff and Yazz. He GraingeFomer in Undertones his part-time singer rôle. Sharkey managerThis is Feargal not a purge, Sharkey it's an quit, evolution- hassays, allowed"It was myme décision to do toother leave things, and it says. "The environment was not one I ~ says" Polydor"n. "Graham managing just panywas happy I joined with a year and andit was a half not theago." Com- ^ M ^ OFFICIAI UK ALBUMS AND SINGLES CHARTS PULL-0UT - p14 ► [> 1> i> a . ^ , * # ' ■& f- V % -•-/i ^H/y /-:? ■ ^ . V ^ -^v ■;. , \ 1 ^YX 20279-2 / CD ZYX 20279-4 / MC TWENTY-4-SEVEN THE NEW SINGLE FR» THE SUCCiSSFUL ALBUM Él ZYX 7225-8 / MAXI-CD ZYX 7225-7 / SSliLE ZYX 7225-12 / me-SINGLE Îei.î 06471/S05'21/'22A38/"72 Fax: 06471/505-68 GERMANY NEWSFILE TheVirgin Broadcasting 1215 complaint Complaints Commission upheld has upheld a Oli figures bfow complaint against Virgin 1215's Nick Abhot Show, over broadcaster"grossly insulting" Robin Katz.comments Last Julyan made againstarticle bywriter former and criticisingSoum/s writer Abbot Katz as was "irresponsible". published in OnThe the Indépendant, day of apublication, "bitch", and Abbott threatened described to "(rip) her heron his a new programme arse". as faster chart myth Virginregrets admits the lapse. the comments were offensive and says it plained about the delay in installinf Trans World to pitch for London licence MarchINSTALLATION 7:150 CCD scanners TIMETABLE go out to shops Trans World Communications, the parent company of March 28 onvvards: 290 more scanners and ', of Mag Manchester's Piccadilly Radio, Preston's Red Rose and în the c 80 Epson macîhines sent to shops. This machines for his six shops. Glamorgan's Red Dragon, is planning to apply for a bringsthetot al for independents to 290 "My singles sales are down 20% each London FM licence laterthis spring. The company's CINst April 4-25:30 0 renovated Epson machines - week, we don't see the sales reps any- plans were unveiled as part of its 1993 results glesraonth entered under the the Top new 75 chart, with 3182 clirabingnew sin- 20 a day-goi to retailers along with 50 Epos more and if the situation doesn't change. announcement, which showed group turnover up 9% to the following week, according to the sta- machines. Tb lis brings the independent £13.3m and pre-tax profits up 55% to £1.7m. Meanwhile 86tistics. entered During the chartthe same with period 32 climbing. in 1993, share tothet arget total of 500 emergingEmap, which as front-runner owns a 30% tostake buy inOwen the group,Oyston's is 24% ingThe last figures week ofwere BPI presented members to and a meet- rep- dsogoing being to multiples,spent ren- stake in the company. résentatives from CIN and chart bring the full 1,500 Springsteen 'rarities' album postponed S pritde. These wîU ^"1^" Anbeen album postponed of rare until Bruce next Springsteen year, after recordings the High Court has last weekDare International extended an labelinjunction has renewed from the anstar. undertaking, Hertford's SSXSnew followingdouble album out-of-courttalks, Prodigal Son, a notto collection release of the1971 23-track tarecordings. be heard inMr full Justice before Ferris the end said of the the case year. is unlikely Experts welcome Levitt lands investment ban entertainmentRoger Levitt, the businessman, former insurance has become broker theand first Virgin expansion person to be indefinitely banned from the UK investment whichbusiness. collapsed Levitt was in 1990 chairman owing of £34m. The LevittThe company Group CIN figures put DCC ahead of MiniDisc reportedDespite high in MW retail last expectation week, CIN chartfor Sony's information MiniDisc, for as suggestsDCC and MiniDiscthat Philips software is winning sales the so battle far this of yearthe new formats.DCC cassette Figures panel for thesales the and first 21 eight MiniDisc weeks panel show sales. 102 BritMorrison award winner faces Van tour Morrison manager's is facing a writ writclaiming was heissued owes in £32,000 the High to Court a former by Alan tour Morrismanager. The Price may have set its sights too high against Morrison and his company Exile Productions. beforeMorris theclaims two thatmen an parted agreement company signed will inprove spring that 1992 he USis owed concerts. the money as a resuit of work on European and ' Martin Greene Ravden pointsMusic outindustry that it accountants has no connection Martin withGreene Martin Ravden Greene &High Co, Court the north case London brought accountancyfirm by Cure founder memberinvolved Loiin the RavdenFiction Recordshas not represented boss Chris Parry. anyone Martin in the Greene case. ► ► > y y y localtalentiskeytopolygram profit-p 5 ► !>>►►► MUSIC WEEK 12 MARCH 1994 NEWS COMMENT jAtîasrtictotakeon rivai Virgin for FM the back door" 01 =0 WEBBO trXl 'o^r Sony: manager US fudge approves 'imîrusSworthy' Evidence given by Whentalkis cheap $Mm HW merger What is it about awards shows that brings out the worst ^htnXcX thein people? Music Week The Brits Awards are meant the companies. te honour the artists and It was disgraceful the way that Van Morrison was attempt by XXXdXX's 58-3m subscribe, throughoutreceived at athe few Brits. songs Half by the one audience of this country's chatted Thegreatest-ever Music Week artists. Awards Please, have, respect rightly, where always it isbeen due. more of a bun fight, but this year they were zappier with Th^hadXeÏtopaySSraXXa ^BeswèsMT^Via. whoshort taiked speeches. ail the So way what through were the it? people doing there eventsMaybe wheresomeone the could music make business a fortune just talk organising to each other. wineEvery - month then leavea quick them meal. to get a few on bottleswith iL of expensive Something to