26February

Time for the quarterly RAJAR figures, this time covering the twelve weeks to 17 December 2006. Of particular reference are the figures for the third quarter of 2006 and the equivalent last year.

In each case, the figures are a weighted average of the most recent quarter's figure, and the middle three of the previous five quarters. This gives a trend figure based on a central one-year sample drawn from the past eighteen months, much more stable than the individual quarters.

National stations

A very quiet quarter for the BBC nationals, and for the terrestrials; the only significant movements are 6Music increasing hours by a quarter, World Service losing hours equally quickly. Neither loses much audience. In the commercial sector, a collapse of a half for Q's hours, and a third for Smash Hits. LBC's national rollout has boosted audiences and hours by 10% for a second straight quarter.

A year ago, Classic was ahead of Radio 5 on audience, BBC7 has added 25% of audience, but Asian Network is unchanged. Planet Rock and 6Music are the only other digital stations to show a substantive gain.

(More: the full national tables, and analysis for the Midlands) 1633 words

| Permanent link

Media

27February

Remember Republica? Saffron of the bright red hair, loud braying voice, and songs that were ubiquitous because they were so damned catchy. Ready to go had just missed the top 40 in spring 1996, but was re-promoted heavily in the opening months of the following year, and turned into the tremendous hit it always deserved to be, entering at number 13. Follow-up Drop dead gorgeous would make the top ten barely a couple of months later, but the group rather lost their way afterwards; From rush hour with love barely scraped the top 20 in autumn 1998, the second album Speed Ballads was a grade 1 flop, and the group split.

(More from the 1997 chart 841 words)

| Permanent link

Two Songs a Week

28February

The bottom line: LJ continues to get older, and the Ukraine-Russia-Belarus axis continues to grow five times faster than the traditional heartland. (All the details)

| Permanent link

Six Apart is Rubbish

1March

To-day is Weaver's 33-and-a-third birthday. For the last month or so, I've been making a list of my thirty-three most influential long-playing records. Here's the complete list, with links to the extended write-ups.

01 waking hours
02 when the world knows your name
03 heaven or las vegas
04 hup
05 doubt
06 good deeds and dirty rags
07 the big wheel
08 use your illusion
09 shepherd moons
10 jordan the comeback
11 prince of the deep water
12 suede
13 morning dove white
14 piano concerto
15 hounds of love
16 ancient and modern
17 disgraceful
18 jagged little pill
19 tragic kingdom
20 at the club
21 the golden mile
22 stunt
23 bat out of hell ii
24 the secret of life
25 since i left you
26 angels with dirty faces
27 do it for love
28 introduction
29 amongst the suns
30 on the town / wonderful town
31 listen hard
32 scala on the rocks
33 l'instant d'apres

Permanent link

1March

Our brief review of hot Finnish talent continues with Sunrise Avenue's pan-European hit Fairytale gone bad. Formed in 2004, the four-piece band released its debut album in May last year, and have been rewarded with a top-ten hit in Germany and Sweden. Internationl fame and fortune is assured, as is the traditional welcome for Finnish talent in the notoriously insular UK - one week at number 63, if they're lucky. That's a waste.

| Permanent link

2March

Yes, it's that time of the month where we review our server logs, and wonder: what are these people thinking?

dana all kinds of everything score to download - nul points. That's the kind of score Dana gets here.

flying the flag scooch - covers eyes, because this will be painful.

free girls - er, we don't do that kind of pervery. Or any other kind of pervery, with the possible exception of psephology.

free online shakira naked - not here, sorry to disappoint.

free rude chris moyles songs - look, we don't do pervery.

free shoe pictures - sorry, everyone.

give me a list top ten british chart music hits on the day of 1 - a snappier query would give you results.

what airports fly to mercia spain - none. The gates themselves take to the air with ease, but those duty-free shops just don't leave.

lay down your arms by anne shelton in 33 or 45 record - you should have been listening to Russell Davies a couple of weeks ago, he played the gravel-crunching original.

ypsilanti water tower - look, we don't do pervery.

| Permanent link

Geekery

2March

Next week's radio highlights, then.

| Permanent link

3March

SKY Television has confirmed that its withdrawal from the cable market last Thursday will cost it more than £1 million per week in profits. Prior to cutting the feed, the satellite broadcaster denied supplying a deliberately distorted feed to the national cable centre on Sunday night, pointing out that drop-outs, technical cock-ups, and general uselessness are completely par for the course.

Following the withdrawal of service, NatCable finally changed the channel names to reflect reality, calling them "SKY (Sports) Snooze", a name we've been using for so many years that we'd rather like a month's free sub (though we'll cheerily donate it to the Better Flextech Programmes Fund).

The National Consumer Council, a government-appointed body, has put on its mortar-board and told both Mr. Branson and Mr. Muckdoch to stop behaving like they're in primary one, otherwise it'll be early to bed with no supper for the both of them. It's a shame the NCC couldn't be bothered to intervene in the Telewest v Nickelodeon dispute of 2004-5, which knocked the latter channel off cable for eight weeks and two days. Clearly, the government quango is only interested in matters we couldn't give a flying first about.

In an unrelated move, the DTI has asked OFCOM to investigate SKY's purchase of 17.9% of ITV late last year; it's the first time in five years that the Timidity and Inaction department has investigated an anti-competitive merger like this.

In other broadcasting news, the BBC has agreed not to pursue copyright claims against G****e when the advertising behemoth steals its television programmes. The Beeb will also present some commercials for its future programmes in a computer-readable form. Quite why the Beeb is signing away license-fee payers' interests in this this way is beyond us.

The Greenwich Rugby Time Signal is moving again, this time to become the Anthorn Time Signal. Does that mean that the world will henceforth run on Anthorn Mean Time, just over 9 minutes behind GMT?

And finally, Here's Humph. They had installed one of those lifts where you go in one way and come out the opposite way but they hadn't realised that the opposite way went into a solid brick wall.

| Permanent link

Media

4March

(Banks, Iraq, and Blair, mostly) 1006 words

| Permanent link

Miscellany

4March

Well, William Barrington-Coupe's interview in to-day's Sunset Times just about wraps it up for the Hatto-trick. Except it doesn't; Mr. Barrington-Coupe leaves us thinking that all he did was a little touching-up, not the complete plagarism that people found a couple of weeks ago. Denis Dutton puts forward a convincing case that Mrs. Hatto knew that the works issued under her name were not hers, and that she was (at the very least) complicit in the fraud.

Over on World of Wikipedia, there's been a massive brew-ha-ha over someone who claimed to be a professor, but was actually a kid from the middle of nowhere. Jason Scott compares Hatto with Ryan Jordan (this Essjay person). Seth Finklestein discusses World of Wikipedia's values further, and one of his commentators compares WoW to $cientology, that well-known pyramid scheme. Shelley Powers hits the nail on the head, as usual, and points out that WoW's growth has come at the expense of serendipity.

| Permanent link

Blogging

4March

Another week, another German topper, and cover your ears. DJ Ötzi's Ein stern has taken the best-seller crown, as we rather feared it would. Nic's version of the same song climbs to position 9. Last week's chart toppers, Hoehner, also have a song in at 20. Though Yannick Noah retains the top spot in France, Faf Larange comes in at number 2 with Ta meuf.

Three new entries into the top ten in Sweden, Encore's L'amour toujours and Magnus Carlsson's Live forever enter at 3 and 4, with Anyway you want me in at 8 for the Rednex. Local act Fixkes comes in at number two in Flanders, with a song called Kvraagetaan. Obviously. Sunrise Avenue's climb continues, cracking the top 10 in Estonia, where they're joined by the Council Estate Slappers' recent Tiffany cover. Mika holds on to the top slot in Ireland, from Take That's new song; highest new entry goes to Cascada at 10. This week's Finnish number one is the No way back ep from Norther.

 20 11 Snore Patrol - Chasing cars
 19 NE Kelis - Little star
 18 19 Razorlight - America
 17 re Holly Dolly - Dolly song
 16 16 Sunrise Avenue - Fairytale gone bad
 15 15 Herbert Gronemeyer - Lied 1.
 14 re Cascada - Everytime we touch
 13 NE DJ Ötzi - Ein stern
 12 12 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow
 11  6 View - Same jeans
 10 13 Take That - Patience
  9  5 Clitring Aguilera - Hurt
  8 14 Boys Aloud - Ruby
  7  7 Eric Prydz - Proper education
  6  4 Just Jack - Stars in their eyes
  5 10 Nelly Furtado - Say it right
  4  8 Ville Valo and Natalia Avelon - Summer wine
  3  3 Fray - How to save a life
  2  2 Mika - Grace Kelly
  1  1 Nelly Furtado - All good things

Charts

4March

After the stasis of the last few weeks, a huge clear-out this week, with 20 new entries into the top 75, and no place at all for last week's highest new entry from the Magic Numbers. Tracey Thorn props up the 75 with one of her refreshing songs; Overcast and Uncle Jam will perhaps be satisfied with comfortable top 75 places, but the NME will be disappointed that CSS fall three places short of the 40. The usual slew of download-only releases includes Avril Lavigne, Enter Shikari, Clitring, Pink, Little Chris, and Paolo Nutini.

Of twelve new entries into the top 40 (including one chart climber), eight are in the bottom ten positions; truly, we have gone back twenty years in no time at all. We're very pleased to see the Ghosts arrive on three-week download; there are full releases for Idlewild, the Horrors, and the Maccabees. Good Charlotte and Puff Daddy are on two-week download, as is Calvin Harris's strange song, somewhere close to Just Jack in concept. Cushh is made up of a Popstars II reject and a silent-c rapper.

New at 21 is a concept calling itself the Ugly Rumours, selling a version of Edwin Starr's War performed by rent-a-leotard politicians like George Galloway. Originally released to deafening lack-of-acclaim last autumn, it's been re-activated following a CND demonstration last week-end. James Masterton, who does this kind of commentary professionally, has already addressed the discontinuity here. Are people buying downloading this record because they like it as an artistic expression, in which case we have some Pierro and the All-Stars records they may like... Or are they buying the record in an effort to express solidarity with their political cause, in which case we have a suspicion that they might find better things to do with their time. More of that in coming weeks. (Mr. Masterton also reproduces his piece on the 1996 Dunblane record, clearly treading similar ground to Emma Forrest's more famous piece, and references The Elton John Exposition. More on that in due course.)

But we digress. Pigeon Detectives are in at 19, Romantic type is their biggest hit by far. Fedde le Grande's Detroit song only left us a week or two ago; his newie is in, but only at 16. All of these three are on physical release, and it would be surprising to see them make much of an impact on next week's 40. Not so for the Killers, who advance to 15; Take That, whose last song is back up one to 14; Nelly Furtado, up three to 11; and Justin Numberwang, climbing one to 10. The latter two get physical releases to-morrow.

A re-entry at 8 for Cascada, performing I need a miracle. It's similar to their last two songs, being all Euro-cheese beats and very little else. Gossip climb six places to 7, and if anyone knows how to turn the main theme from Skins into a handy Handy ringtone, hither thee to skinsfans where there are a bunch of people pointing water pistols and talking Lithuanian.

Fray hold station at 5, Mika dips two to 4, making way for Gwen Stiffeny's four-place climb to 3. Boys Aloud are replaced at the top by Take That, up from 10. The group now has ten number one singles from 11 releases, and if they had any sense, would re-release Love ain't here anymore so that they could claim 11-in-a-row and tie the Beatles for the longest streak.

It's all reverse in the albums chart, as Boys Aloud's Yours truly holds off Take That's comeback album for the top spot. Hayley Westenra's pop-classical album Treasure is in at 9, joined in the top 30 by hits collections from ELO and Dr Hook, and O'Marion's album. Good climbs for Gwen S (29-14) and Gossip (33-22). Two new entries lower down, The Magic Position for Patrick Wolf is 46, and A Beautiful Lie gives 30 Seconds to Mars their album chart debut at 51; Jared Leto becomes the first and probably only MSCL alumnus to hit the albums list.

 4  2 Mika - Grace Kelly
 5  5 Fray - How to save a life
 6  3 Kelis - Little star
 7 13 Gossip - Standing in the way of control
12  6 Just Jack - Stars in their eyes
15 29 Killers - Read my mind
19 NE Pigeon Detectives - Romantic type
20 17 Jojo - Too little too late
22 23 Lily Allen - Alfie (05MAR)
24 19 View - Same jeans
30 64 Junior Jack - Stupidisco
32 NE Calvin Harris - Acceptable in the eighties (12MAR)
33 NE Maccabees - About your dress
34 NE Horrors - Gloves
36 NE Idlewild - No emotion
39 NE Ghosts - Stay the night (19MAR)
42 34 Fratellis - Chelsea dagger
44 46 Nelly Furtado - All good things
50 33 Snore Patrol - Open your eyes
51 37 Fratellis - Whistle for the choir
52 26 Bloc Party - The prayer
53 38 Razorlight - America
60 NE Pink - Leave me alone
70 57 Killers - When you were young
73 NE Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend (02APR)
75 NE Tracey Thorn - It's all true

Charts

4March

This week, we've been watching...

* Skins (E4) We could just stick an axe as deeply into him as he wants to go deeply elsewhere. Then withdraw it, and plunge it deep into the other his scrawny neck. Still, at least he was acting well this week, completely distracted. Oh, and if you're thinking of trying this at home, don't.
* The Retreat (BBC2) An open mind.
* MI-High (CBBC) The war machines.
* University Challenge (BBC2) Hmmmmm.
* Shipwrecked (C4) Hmmmmm squared.
* The Blair Decade (BBC2) Hmm, the man is a psycopath.
* Skins (E4), during which we shouted at the screen various phrases, including Nobody, Very probably, You are falling for your own hype; you must be a Tony, Well, they've done their homework, No subtitles, that'll be the realism, Who's Georgie?, Stop! Carry on!, Neil Diamond and Friends, our greatest cultural exports. Even before reading the credits, it's clear that this was the Simon Amstell co-write, that's his style. The "Russian" scenes were, of course, filmed in Lithuania, and we rather suspect that some viewers won't be seeing these scenes as originally aired.

... and listening to...

* Ockham's Razor and Minding the Media, both discussing the vacuity of modern life. OR podcast to 24 March; MM podcast for an unknown period.
* Feedback (R4), on the changes to the Toady programme, scheduling clashes on the network and with Question Muck, and the wonders of internet radio.

Media

4March

A train derailment in Cumbria last Friday night killed one person, and caused a renewed bout of soul-searching over the state of British railways. An initial report suggested that some points had been interfered with.

Italy's new prime minister Romano Prodi won a vote of confidence in the Senate. His administration replaces one defeated last week, headed by himself.

Stock markets lost about 5% of their value during the week, following a restriction on the holding of capital in Red China. Commentators suggested that this was a due correction.

Switzerland's army briefly entered Liechtenstein this week. A force of approximately 170 crossed the border on Thursday morning, and marched almost 1,5km into Liechtenstein before realising that they had taken a wrong turning, and marching straight back.

The BBC was prevented from broadcasting further details of the cash-for-peerages trail. The injunction, obtained by the Attorney General, acting on a request from the police, prevented the broadcaster from presenting information about an email, from someone who may or may not have been Downing-street adviser Ruth Turner, to someone who may or may not have been Labour party fundraising supremo Michael Levy. This is the first injunction sought in the cash-for-peerages case.

Sunday's Estonian parliamentary elections were marked by almost 20% of votes being cast online.

Seven weeks until the first round of presidential elections in France, and les scores sur les portes sont: M. Popup 31% (+3%), Mme. Royal 25% (-4%), M. Bayrou 19% (+2%), M. le Pen 12% (+0,5%), les Autres 12,5% (0%). In the run-off round, M. Popup leads Mme. Royal by 54-46. Over the next few weeks, we can expect the Autres to leave the poll, having failed to attract the required 500 nominations from elected politicians. Some of them will go to Mme. Royal, some to M. Bayrou; with five of the seven being from the left, there's not much space for the right-wing candidates le Pen and Popup to advance into.

Obituaries this week include Charles Forte, hotelier; and Lena Jeger (2), perpetual backbencher of the Wilson years.

In sports, Montceau of the Fourth Division has made the semi-finals of the French national cup, adding Lens to their Obelix-like collection of scalps in the earlier rounds. The Spanish league tilted towards Sevilla, after the side won 2:1 against Barcelona. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has failed to secure any medals at the world cross-country skiing championships, finishing down the field in the short events. The 50km individual race ended in a photo-finish between two other Norwegians.

News

4March

The winter's mild and wet motif continued, with some vigorous squalls on Wednesday, and almost two inches of the wet stuff falling between 6pm Friday and 6pm Sunday. February finished with over 165% of the average rainfall, and March has almost had half its quota already.

26 Mo sun                6/ 9, 2.0
27 Tu showers            3/12, 8.0
28 We squally showers    7/11, 6.5
01 Th sunny spells       4/ 9, 1.0
02 Fr sun to cloud       0/10
03 Sa rain o/n, sun      3/12,22.0
04 Su rain               2/10,11.5

Rainfall in February: 89½mm; Monthly average: 54mm.
Rainfall in March: 34.5mm; monthly average: 52.3mm. Degree heating days: 411½
2005-6: 651½/808
2004-5: 566½/677½.

Weather