CHORLEY FM NOT SO GOOD NATURED AFTER ALL

Having been able to coast on the back of Peter Kay's fictional station of the same name, the newly licensed [real] Chorley FM has become embroiled (of course, embroiled) in a huge row with Kay's management company, Phil McIntyre Entertainment.

According to the radio station, Kay's team were so keen to be able to flog lucrative Chorley FM merchandise (based on their fictional station), they offered to buy out the real one - for eighty pounds.

Phil McIntyre Entertainment denies this:

A spokeswoman for Phil McIntyre Entertainment said: "We definitely are not trying to buy the radio station."

But she said the company had once considered registering Chorley FM as a limited company so it could use the name, but discovered Chorley FM had already been registered as a private limited company with Companies House in November 2001.

However, it was able to trademark the fictional Chorley FM logo for use in several radio and television related areas, gaining registration from the Patent Office in January 2005.

It is registered to use the logo for radio and television broadcasting services, entertainment and programmes as well as radio sets, CDs sound and video recordings plus T-shirts, hats, mugs, lighters and badges - among other items.

With us so far? Chorley FM - the real one - invited Peter Kay to get involved (they say), but he said no; however, Dave Spikey, who co-starred with Kay in Phoenix Nights, which featutred the fictional Chorley FM is patron of the actual Chorley FM:

Spikey said he had been aware of Phil MacIntyre making a bid for the station two years ago, but was not aware of any recent offer.

He said the station had a "big part to play in promoting local talent. [Chorley] is a little market town which is very strong on arts and culture which I do think is very important in the infrastructure of the town."

Chorley FM's team mutter dark warnings about what might happen if Kay doesn't come to the table soon:

"Peter Kay could be a keen investor but he obviously thinks he doesn't need the publicity in this area. He's apparently looking to come and live in Chorley but unless he helps the radio station he'll not be welcome."

Something to think about as you pull together plans to launch a KACL in Seattle.

music chorley chorley fm peter kay dave spikey