6 Music - Music News
6 Music News
Politicians to face music
6 Music to host live debate on the future of the industry
- 28/04/2010
With a week to go until the general election, representatives of the three main political parties will take part in a live debate on the music industry this Friday (30 April), hosted by 6 Music News.
The hour-long programme, presented by Richard Bacon, begins at 3pm.
The debate will cover issues such as piracy and copyright, licensing and ticket touts, the importance of technological innovation and the future of new talent.
Richard will be joined by Conservative former Shadow Culture Media and Sport secretary John Whittingdale, Labour’s Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Margaret Hodge, and the Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Don Foster.
Former Undertones frontman and head of industry group UK Music Feargal Sharkey will also be in the studio.
The programme will feature contributions from bands including Doves and Reverend and the Makers, concert promoter Melvyn Benn and Glastonbury Festival organiser, Michael Eavis among many others.
Paul Rodgers, Editor of 6 Music said: "The music industry is incredibly important to millions of people and 6 Music is the natural home for a debate that gets under the skin of the matters that affect both the day-to-day industry and music lovers throughout the UK."
6 Music’s debate on the future of music begins at 3pm on Friday 30th April.
Put the questions you want asked of our prospective political leaders by leaving comments below, via email, or if you're a Twitter user, by adding #6music to your tweets. We'll be tweeting the best of the debate on the 6 Music News twitter feed.
Lauren Laverne
Live music sessions most weekdays with Lauren.
Marc Riley
A live session most nights from Manchester.
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Comments
Do you support the proposed closure of 6Music and if so, why ?
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BBC Introducing is running this week, it shines a light on unsigned and undiscovered bands, the stars of tomorrow. 6music is not only a huge part of this but also is a massive supporter of new acts and new music in general, 6music is the BBC's only dedicated outlet for new contemporary music in the UK yet the BBC has proposed to close the network. Would you not say this is a counter intuitive proposal that goes against the very remit and values of the BBC?
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6Music is the only national popular music radio station that promotes new British music talent throughout the day, rather than concentrating on established stars. Given that the BPI, AIM, UK Music and 175,000 of its listeners have already expressed their alarm at the BBC Executive’s proposal to shut down the station, how do the panel believe this will impact upon unsigned or emerging artists, concert promoters, smaller labels and independent record shops?
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Do you believe that music that isn't written for an orchestra and often has lyrics can have the same cultural value as classical music?
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You will be aware of the very vocal opposition to the BBC announcement to close 6 music. A decision which has horrified both the listeners and music industry who believe 6 music is exactly what the BBC does best - and indeed should continue to do as no commercial station could ever hope to replicate its output.
Indeed does the fact that 6 music is housing this very debate not show just how important and irreplaceable this wonderful station is to the British music scene?
Please confirm your thoughts on the BBC decision to close the station and what you hope the trusts findings will be at the end of the current consultation process.
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Do you still see a place for informed, knowledgeable taste formers such as radio djs?
How do you think that new music can break through in the Internet world of blip/spotify/last.fm which just tends to confirm people's prejudices?
Are radio playlists good for the music industry or not? Especially when most band revenue is increasingly from performances
Are record companies relevant anymore?
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Obviously I am against the closure of 6, but I'll let others ask that question.
My question is:
We currently have licensing laws for live music that were introduced as a counter terrorist measure. These laws are putting promoters and venues out of business.
No singer songwriter or indie band has ever tried to radicalise me at a gig so, if elected, would you reconsider these laws?
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Music contributes a large amount of revenue to the British economy.
As the BBC are proposing to close 6 Music, aspiring new artists will no longer have a platform to showcase themselves. This will cause the amount of revenue generated from this sector to be significantly reduced.
How do you suggest that new artists be heard if the BBC implements the proposals outlined in the misguided Strategy Review?
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The Government proposes switching off analogue radio transmissions in 2015, requiring all listeners to switch to DAB (or Freeview, Freesat or internet which are impractical and unwieldy for most people in households where others may have demands on those methods).
6music is currently the main driver for increased uptake of DAB, as it is only available via digital means but is consistently increasing its reach.
How would the closure of 6music impact on the planned digital switchover, and how would politicians and the BBC compensate for any such effect without spending way in excess of the money required to continue 6music and The Asian Network?
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Is the BBC compromising the promotion of quality new music by chasing large audiences?
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Will any of the political parties stop this "interferring with the internal workings of the BBC" line and support those members of the public that are desperately trying to get an open debate with the BBC executive over the proposed (and seemingly inevitable) closure of 6Music?
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Does the Panel think the BBC has too big a role in defining idiosyncratic standards in the UK which are not adopted elsewhere? Is this constructive towards supporting UK music industry in other world markets?
Some examples...
The DAB standard in the UK pushed by the BBC for early adoption has saddled commercial radio with excessive transmission costs and listeners with low bit rates and a standard not makin rapid progress into cars.
The BBC recently stopped support for (true) open-source access to the iPlayer and its Internet Radio stations use proprietary standards hence Internet Radios from other parts of the world do not work (or do not work well here).
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Is Radio 2's mixture of talk and music a good thing for UK music? Would the target demographic be better served by a mix of commercial stations?
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Do you feel we have the balance right in this country between funding classical and contemporary (not pop) music?
Classical Music performers and venues are funded extensively by the government, lottery and BBC. I don't know what the overall figure is but with Radio 3, the BBC orchestras, the various national orchestras etc, the funding must be over £100m. Contemporary Music is a contributor to the economy and export earner. Isn't seed investment like 6Music, BBC Introducing a really good return on public investment - especially now that UB40 funding is much harder to come by?
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How much value do you place on archive material of live music performance? Do you think commercial channels (which can come and go) have sufficient motivation to support live performances? Is some sort of national archive needed? How could access to this be managed?
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Do you think the BBC coverage of Glastonbury is good value?
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Instead of the BBC being instructed to back away from treading on the toes of the commercial sector, do you think the commercial sector ought to be made to 'up their game' and provide higher quality content instead?
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Bono or Sting. Discuss. Use one side of the paper only
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What plans do you have to limit the political influence that Rupert Murdoch wishes to exert over public service broadcasting in this country?
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Some people have suggested that the recently announced BBC cuts, including the axing of 6music, are intended to appease certain political parties and international media moguls.
Does the panel believe that, in order to support musical innovation and the emergence of new music in the UK, BBC management should be consulting more widely with interested parties (audiences, licence fee-payers, musicians and others involved in the music industry) before high-impact strategic decisions are taken? Does the panel agree with the suggestion that 6music and the Asian Network were viewed by the BBC as expendable pawns in a political power struggle, with no serious thought given to filling the huge gap that the closure of these services would leave?
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Does the panel agree that music sharing or 'piracy' needs to be accepted/tolerated rather than vilified?
I don't know anyone in my family/social group (7yrs to 74yrs) that has not downloaded, copied, watched/listened, received 'pirated' music, TV programmes or films.
Copying music has being happening since recording music became possible and has never endangered musicians making a living. I am not alone in 'trying out' a band with an unofficial copy before deciding to commit to buying the album, I have done this since I was a child with audio tapes.
Can the panel honestly say they have never owned an unofficial copy of an album?
Bands are more likely to benefit from this than not, as I do not know many people (other than hardened fans - and this only benefits the famous bands) who would be willing to buy an album without listening to the whole thing at least a few times to decide whether they like it or not.
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If the proposed closure of 6music goes ahead, how will this impact upon the UK's music industry? Does the panel believe that closing 6music will, in fact, open up new commercial opportunities- or is it more likely to restrict opportunities available to emerging artists? Would a small selection of new / alternative music programming on other networks adequately replace the exposure for new /alternative bands currently provided by 6music?
Is it likely that closing 6Music could have direct financial implications for the UK music industry?
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What measures do you propose to implement to curb the inflated salaries paid to some high-profile entertainers, presenters and senior executives at the BBC?
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Given that the UK music industry employs 130,000 people and has a turnover in excess of 3.5 billion pounds per year(and growing at 5%)and that BBC6 Music is the major national outlet for new and emerging talent; can the members of parliament on the panel explain why they did not sign and support Tom Watson's Early Day Motion to save the station?
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Given the cultural impact on the world that contemporary music from the UK has provided in the last 50 years, do the panel believe that the UK can still lead the way despite the BBC’s proposals to close their most vibrant and diverse radio station for new artists?
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Question for Margaret Hodge and John Whittingdale. Do you regret forcing through the extremely controversial Digital Economy Bill without proper debate, and if so, what will you do to put it right?
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What is your understanding of the BBC's definition of 'quality'.
Do you believe that 6 Music represents quality and, if so, can you provide a rational explanation as to why it should be closed?
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Hello,
Which parties will act to remove the need for an entertainment licence for any live music (or dance) with an audience of less than 200 people?
Will they act to stop the use of licensing laws and regulations (forms which demand that promoters define the style of live music and the ethnic profile of potential audiences) in implicitly racist ways?
Will they consider keeping analogue radio going?
Will they protect the BBC from the predatory and biased privately owned media, eg Rupert Murdoch?
Thanks.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7639880/Elvis-appearance-opposite-Gordon-Brown-sparks-investigation.html
The Daily Telegraph 27 April 2010 reports the Elvis impersonator’ gig during
Gordon Brown’s appearance in Corby to have been illegal under the Licensing Act 2003.
http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1040959&c=1
It was reported in Music week, April 28, 2010 that Corby Council defended the decision to allow the Elvis impersonator saying that his appearance was not licensable because he was exempt as incidental music. There remains some doubt about validity of this claim.
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8121679.Election_2010__Gordon_Brown_in_Weymouth/
However there is no doubt that had Elvis’s duet with Mr Brown taken place during his visit to Weymouth & Portland on 26 April 2010, that this amplified performance to an audience could not have benefited under the incidental exemption. The following is what is said to be Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s view of the incidental exemption, in the words of the Local Government Ombudsman.
She [The Corporate Director of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council] enclosed information available and commented on the Council's view of what constituted incidental music. This was considered to be; music that could take place without an audience, music that would not be advertised or held on a regular basis: and music that would not be amplified. She added that the Council's preference was not to apply 'a one size fits all' approach and to consider each case on its merits and to advise licensees accordingly.
Q What is proposed to ensure that live music is no longer to be strangled by uncertainty and red tape, which is the inevitable result of the inconsistent treatment under the post code lottery that is locally enforced Licensing and under which the provision of unlicensed live music has the same harsh penalties as the provision of unlicensed alcohol?
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In reply to ScarletDJ,
I am a working musician, and I have lost quite a bit of income through the prevalence of downloading (as has actually happened to each generation of musicians since the introduction of sound reproduction, even when the reproductions were paid for). Having given this quite a bit of thought, I've come to the conclusion that a small levy on each download (payable to musicians, artists, writers etc - those who are now rather demeaned as 'content-providers') is the only way to make this fair – this would be technically demanding, but if the will was there it could be done, by involving the state and ISPs. What do the members of the panel think of this?
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Would the panel agree that Rupert Murdoch has too much power within the UK's media and is using political parties to attack the BBC in return for his support in newspapers?
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I second Clive Bennets question: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20100428_debate.shtml#P95444054
And Peter Crockers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20100428_debate.shtml#P95447588
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How do you feel that the proposed closure of 6 music will most directly impact on the music industry? For example the loss of the opportunity for new and unsigned bands to record sessions. Do you not feel that this is poorly timed, as the music industry is experiencing a growth in sales and is working towards becoming the lead country in this industry.
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Recent figures show that sales in the British music industry are now back in growth, it has a major export market and that 1 in 10 entertainment tickets in London are bought by visitors from abroad. British music festivals are also a massively important tourist attraction. Doesn't it seem like lunacy to allow BBC 6music to be shut down when it is the only national radio station giving airtime to many of the bands touring up and down the country and filling the festival bills behind the headline acts?
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Given that music constantly needs new blood in order to progress how do you see a vibrant and varied industry in the country progressing when a station that prides itself on showcasing new music is to be closed?
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According to the BBC's own stats just issued
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/siteusage/
6 music has :
a) More unique listeners than Radio 3 (despite 6 being only available on digital) 1 extra and Radio7
b) Over three (3) times more monthly listening hours than 1 extra
c) Over four (4) times more listening hours than Radio 7 and double that of Radio 3
d) A quick comparison of the charts for 1 extra http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/chart/singles
and Radio 1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles/
Show eight of the top ten songs are IDENTICAL
And are exactly the same chart fodder on nearly every commercial station in the country!
e) Not one of the songs on the current 6 playlist http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/listen/playlist.shtml
Is in either of the other two stations charts thus clearly proving 6 music is a unique listening experience that neither R1 or R2 - not any commercial station - could ever replicate.
With these facts in mind trust you agree that 6 music is exactly the sort of station the BBC should be concentrating on due to its unique and cultural values?
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Does the panel buy any of the BBC's reasons for shutting 6Music and should the BBC provide a serious music channel for those aged between 28 (Radio One's highest target age) and the over 55's (Radio Two's new target audience)? Especially considering that those in their 30's, 40's and 50's fund the bulk of the TV licence.
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To each member: The music industry in the UK (as elsewhere) is in a rather dramatic state of flux. Since this industry contributes a great deal to the country economically as well as culturally, could you please explain WHY you feel it is acceptable for your party to sit back and let the BBC close 6Music, and WHAT METHODS your party will employ to help young emerging artists in the future if the vital outlet of BBC 6Music is indeed closed? Thank you.
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Which Radio station do you personally listen to and why?
How much new music do you and your family consume ie CD's, gigs/concerts/festivals and why is new music, vibrant live music scene important to you?
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Isn't the presence of radio stations that provide the widest range of new (and old) material the best way to reduce piracy - if we only find out about new music from others or via online methods, that is going to encourage piracy?
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6Music used to provide a daily gig guide to promote bands and venues on that evening. Do you think this was a good idea and should it be revived?
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With regards the target date of 2015 to switch to digital - The Communications Committee of the House of Lords on Monday (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8591942.stm) stated the BBC's decision to close two digital-only stations - 6 Music and the Asian Network - sends a negative signal to consumers.
Considering the popularity of these two stations has the BBC not put a major dent into these plans?
Millions of people have bought digital radio only to now find some of the the stations they bought these for are being discontinued.
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Given the rise of the likes of Spotify and last.fm, as well as MP3 players, do the panel think that it is a signifcant achievement for a digital radio station such as 6 music to still show continued annual growth in these times?
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If 6 Music is such an irrelevance and worthy of closure (as recommended in the Strategy Review), why are you bothering to appear on this station?
Senior BBC managers have treated the listeners to this station with complete contempt and have refused to enter into any dialogue over their reasons for recommending closure of 6 Music. If we are so unworthy, why are you bothering to try and court us with your policies?
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How does Feargal Sharkey think that Britain can become the number one music-making industry in the world without 24 hour a day radio that promotes new music?
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There are many existing exemptions in the Licensing Act 2003 and plainly other existing legislation must be considered to be adequate to protect the public from the live music that these exemptions already exclude from additional entertainment licensing.
Q Can the local government group's implacable opposition to the proposed small venues exemption be explained and what is proposed by your party to deal with a powerful lobby which would still claim, despite the evidence to the contrary, that all forms of live music are presenting problems which only additional entertainment licensing is adequate to protect the public from, when other activities like the showing of TV sport are not presenting these problems, and when the LGA group's continuing lobby, which includes a return to locally set fees, does not include the removal of these existing exemptions?
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Q Is it discrimating against music and dancing that currently under the Licensing Act 2003, anything provided to enable the public to entertain themselves in music and dancing requires additional entertainment licensing permission as Entertainment Facilities but that the provision of anything to enable the public to entertain themselves in other activities, such as indoor sports, like a pool table, does not and if it is thought to be discriminating, what is your party going to do to change this?
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It is music business greed that's killing music NOT downloaders. When CDs came out they were sold as a new medium that will not deteriorate etc... Of course not only that was shown to be WRONG but it was an excuse to increase prices (apparantly due to a new technology, however prices didn't come down after 20 years). Now, as more people legally download music at prices up to £1 per song (and this time consumers don't even get a hard copy whilst record companies/distributers do not pay for hard medium, printing, transport, premises and staff)we are losing out again.
Again same is happening with live music - ticket prices keep increasing, one can't buy tickets without paying all sort of surcharges, number of music venues decreases all the time - music lovers are shafted again.
Music business and consumers can co-exist where everyone benefits, for example Grateful Dead have always allowed concert taping, exchange of recordings etc... and they were mega successful.
Music lovers DO not want to rip anyone off, however music business thinks that we are cash cows that need to be bled.
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Is there a danger that the media's fascination with more 'mainstream' music such as Simon Cowell projects is having a negative impact on alternative music? Do you agree that the BBC must play a key role in supporting lesser known artists and genres?
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Agree with 49. my children are growing up with the idea that music is bands who find exposure through the X factor. Radio stations, such as 6 music which constantly expose and support new music are essential to the growth of the music industry in this country, especially those bands who last longer than one overhyped single or album after they have been praised by Simon Cowell.
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Could you provide specific examples of where there is any form of logic relating to the four main objectives over what live music is licensable, what live music is not licensable and what live music is specifically exempt in the Licensing Act 2003 and what exactly is proposed by your party to remove the patchy enforcement and local government red-tape that is strangling all forms of live music?
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The Environmental Protection legislation is thought adequate to deal with noise concerns emanating from all sources but a false impression, which amounts to scaremongering, is being given that the removal of traditional entertainment licensing from live music will leave the public exposed and unprotected to these concerns.
Q Can you explain exactly why enviromental legislation, planning and other existing legislation, is inadequate to protect the public from noise concerns emanating from live music, which the public are still advised by the local government lobby, only the additional entertainment licensing permissions contained in the Licensing Act 2003 can protect them from?
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1) Would any party look at protecting music venues that have been established in business from alteration and closure from complaints resulting from newly built adjacent premises?
2) Can councils that change transport routes that affect music venues in city centres, make suitable arrangements so that bands and musicians can access the venue earlier in the day for sound checks?
3) Looking at local music stations, should there be playlist music quotas available to support NEW music from that area?
4) Can all public buildings eg. Libraries, museums be required to have a ground floor accessible area where local promoters and organisations can display and publicise their events?
5) For new local TV programme makers is there some incentive to encourage producers to use local talent on their soundtracks?
6) Will any parties do a review of policing in city centres and areas with live music venues where less police is required and adjust rates for these business?
7) How will the main parties support female musicians who don't sit in the acoustic or commercial side of the industry to get their music heard?
8) And why do they think that in our experience (ex promoter) we found that radio play on 6 with a small listener base has a greater impact on live audience sizes compared to the same act being played on daytime Radio 2. What is 6 Music doing right?
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What might be the impact on the future of the British music scene if the BBC trust had a member with experience and love of the contemporary music scene?
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Do you feel that there is still a divide between the classical and contemporary music scene and that the High Culture afficianados still have a disproportionate amount of influence.
- (optional part of Q)..So much so that the criteria applied to close 6music would also shut down Radio 3. which it seems would never be contemplated
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Currently under the Licensing Act 2003, exactly the same additional entertainment permission is required for a group of non-amplified folk musician playing for their own enjoyment in a small pub with adequate facilities and which is already made safe for the public - as is required for open field temporary festival site, with no permanent facilities and intended for thousands of attendees.
Q Do you think this approach to be at all proportionate and as grass roots live music at the small-scale is unlikely to be able to ‘thrive’ under such a regime - what exactly does your party propose to address this?
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Could the Minister please answer, what evidence has been presented to support the Local Government Association allegation that live music is a threat to public order, making it necessary to license it ?
Phil Little
The Original Live Music Forum
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Gordon Brown’s recent pre-election gig with Elvis is only the latest in incidents showing that the Government which introduced the Licensing Act 2003, does not understand its requirements relating to live music. Ordinary members of the public finding themselves in a similar position do not have the clout of the Prime Minister and licensing officers would claim them to be presenting risks to the licensing objectives and if successfully prosecuted, subject to a max £20.000 fine or 6 months in prison.
Q Where this restrictive regulation is so obviously not understood by those who have inflicted it, is it fair to expect ordinary members of the public to understand it and what do you intend to do to ensure not only that it is understood but that it makes sense and is fairly and consistently enforced and that embarrassing incidents like this one, which reflect little credit on local licensing authorities will be a thing of the past?
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It may be claimed that Gordon Brown and those involved in organising his recent Elvis gig do understand their own legislation - where even the provision of playable piano would currently require licensing as an Entertainment Facility and even if the activity itself was exempt under the ‘incidental’ exemption.
Q Could whoever is making this claim explain how exactly the facilities provided to enable this performance of live music, are not licensable as Entertainment Facilities and why those involved in organising this are not facing prosecution and why this clear breach of the legislation is not considered to be presenting a risk to the licensing objectives?
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Do The members of the panel support the LACORS suggestion that drums, brass and bagpipes (long used in traditional Celtic music) be subject to stricter licensing control ?
Phil Little
The Original Live Music Forum
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Margaret Hodge claims an increase in the number of music licences issued, but most of these are to places that would not have needed one prior to the act, like schools, hospitals, old people's homes. This increase in the number of licences does not imply an increase in the amount of live music. The licencing act is strangling small gigs.
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The show was a good opportunity wasted and Margaret Hodge's performance in particular, was an insult to the intelligence of Radio 6's listeners.
Apart from not being able to remember the name of the track she had chosen because she said it brought back memories - she was allowed to get away with her quite ridiculous claims for live music by a DJ who understood the issue of licensing even less than she did and who did not give the opportunity to challenge her on these claims to those who did.
I doubt if the electorate will let her and her Government be given such an easy ride as she was given today?
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