The Week in Light & Sound
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The regulator said it had taken the decision in light of "the significant financial challenges that the local TV sector is facing". Continuing with the plans for the new channels would, Ofcom says, "have an adverse impact on the economic viability of the local TV sector."
Licences will now not be advertised for Bangor (Wales), Barnstaple, Bromsgrove, Derry Londonderry, Forth Valley, Gloucester, Inverness, Kidderminster, Limavady, Luton, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and Stratford-upon-Avon. Local TV was launched in the UK under a plan laid out in 2011 by then culture secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Fringe Payments - Edinburgh venue Summerhall has abolished zero-hour contracts for all its full-time workers, after signing a voluntary agreement with trade union Unite. Unite will also run weekly Know Your Rights drop in sessions at Summerhall’s Courtyard, where all workers at the fringe or other Edinburgh festivals can seek advice on their employment rights. The agreement with Unite will see all hourly paid full-time fringe staff given minimum contracts of 30 hours per week. Bespoke minimum hours contracts for all staff will follow.
Summerhall general manager Sam Gough says: “We are delighted to be recognised for the work we have done and continue to do to make Summerhall a fair and safe workplace. Working with Unite is the next step in publicising and formalising our goal to ensure Summerhall is an excellent place to work– and recognising the skills our temporary staff bring by paying them well and ensuring hours are secure.”
On The Wall - David Bowie, John Peel and Sandy Denny will all receive blue plaques in their honour, thanks to nominations made by BBC local radio listeners. 47 plaques will be unveiled on BBC Music Day this Thursday, recognising pioneering musicians and music venues around the UK. Motorhead star Lemmy will be celebrated at Port Vale FC, which has adopted Ace Of Spades as its unofficial anthem. Billy Bragg will unveil a plaque for David Bowie at the site of the Trident Studios in Soho, where Bowie recorded his multi-million selling albums Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust.
Bowie's backing band The Spiders From Mars will also be commemorated at Hull's Paragon Station - from where they took the train to meet the Thin White Duke in the 1970s.
Mercury Rising - The Mercury Prize has announced this year's nominees, but despite the prize's reputation for championing emerging artists, only three debut albums make the cut. Some of the household names on this year's shortlist include Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen and Florence + the Machine.
In The Courts - The BBC has been refused the right to appeal against a court's decision to award Sir Cliff Richard substantial damages in a privacy row. The 77-year-old singer was awarded £210,000 damages in the landmark privacy case, as well as an additional £850,000 in costs. The BBC had attempted to overturn the original ruling, saying there was a "compelling reason" for an appeal. Sir Cliff sued the broadcaster following its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014.
Power Hungry - Former Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten is set to voice a "power hungry" mutant pig in the cartoon series Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The singer - real name John Lydon - will take up the role of the villain Meat Sweats in the Nickelodeon series which starts in September on Channel 5 and Nicktoons. The 62-year-old's part in the show was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con, where the show's makers also revealed a trailer for the animated series.
(Jim Evans)
31 July 2018
