Midge Ure: The Daily Mail is a piece of work

I know, I know that the Mail being like a word-flavoured tapeworm extruding from a mangy asshole isn't exactly news, but it's always useful to remember this.

Midge Ure has a new album out, and did an interview with the Mail to promote it. The interview was quite wide-ranging, covering not just the new work, but also how his head got turned by post-Live Aid adulation and how he nearly wrecked his life through excess.

Plenty, you might think, for a newspaper to focus on.

But not the Mail.

They went with this angle:

My father to father letter to my dear friend Bob: Midge Ure, who had known Peaches Geldof since she was a baby, on how he's tried to comfort his Live Aid mate

Inevitably, this makes the thing look like he's trying to use the death of a friend's child to sell a few albums, and the Mail comment area (or "the subtitles for the hard of thinking") rips into him,:

Chriatina, Chesterfield, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago
Why reveal you have sent a very personal letter to an old friend after the death of hia daughter. Jump on the band wagon of getting your name aired. I think its a disgrace no point in it what so ever .

Deedee, Kent, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago
This is not a heart felt letter, if Midge wants to write to Bob then he can. Why does the daily mail need to be involved. This is disgusting.

null, 1 hour ago
Comfort him by talking to the newspapers? All heart

Shropshire boy, Bridgnorth, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago
Nothing like publicity eh

But even some Mail readers, while waving their pitchforks, seem to sense that there's something a bit iffy here:

Gilliedew, Norfolk, 1 hour ago
I didn't like Midge using Peaches death in relation to his come back, Why? Isn't anything private, such as a letter to Bob at such a traumatic time in his life.Most probably it was the journalist sensationalizing it but why give them the chance, some friend I don't think.

Gilliedew, you nearly had a moment's clarity there, before you decided it was Midge's fault anyway for answering a question.

So there's the Mail's nice work for today: driving page impressions and selling ad space on a story that unfairly implies a man is using a death to sell records.

The Daily Mail is a piece of work.

Quick thought

In the same way that the Proms are, officially, the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, might it not be fitting for the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at the Albert Hall to be named after Stephen Sutton?

Radio Academy Awards: Jamie Cullum is the best music show in the UK

The Radio Academy Awards - which used to be known as the Sonys - were announced last night. Is there any other awards show where Nick Clegg and Danny Baker would walk away carry prizes?

Zane Lowe took best music broadcaster - or at least he shouted at the panel until they gave it to him; more interestingly, in a year when Radio 4 didn't win very much, it was the speech network who picked up best music feature (for an episode of the Soul Music series).

But, really, let's just give it up to University Radio Bath, and their bronze prize recognising their Responsive Radio and Unified Station Management.

No, I don't, either.

BBC Tees, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio 2 are the stations of year in order of increasing size.

Here's the winners in full:

Breakfast Show of the Year (10 million plus)

Gold: The Capital Breakfast Show with Dave Berry & Lisa Snowdon – 95.8 Capital FM

Silver: 5 live Breakfast – BBC Radio 5 live

Bronze: The Breakfast Show with Penny Smith & Paul Ross – BBC London 94.9FM

Nominee: KISS Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie - KISS

Nominee: Nick Ferrari at Breakfast – LBC 97.3



Breakfast Show of the Year (under 10 million)



Gold: Iain Lee - BBC Three Counties Radio

Silver: Boogie in the Morning – Forth One

Bronze: Sam & Amy – Gem 106

Nominee: Good Morning Ulster - BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: Hirsty’s Daily Dose – Capital Breakfast - Capital Yorkshire



Best Music Programme

Gold: Jamie Cullum – Folded Wing for BBC Radio 2

Silver: The People’s Songs – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2

Bronze: The XFM Evening Show with Danielle Perry – The XFM Network

Nominee: Alex James’s Magical Musical Tour – Classic FM

Nominee: John Suchet – Classic FM



Best Specialist Music Programme

Gold: The Beatdown on XFM with Scroobius Pip – The XFM Network

Silver: David Rodigan – BBC Radio 1Xtra

Bronze: Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1

Nominee: Mistajam – BBC Radio 1Xtra

Nominee: The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2



Best Entertainment Programme

Gold: Greg James – BBC Radio 1

Silver: Rob Howard – Capital North East

Bronze: The 12 O’Clock Show – BBC Radio Bristol

Nominee: Alex James’s Magical Musical Tour – Classic FM

Nominee: The Dermot O’Leary Show – Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2



Best Speech Programme

Gold: The Frank Skinner Show – Avalon for Absolute Radio

Silver: The Digital Human – BBC Radio Scotland for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Call Clegg – LBC 97.3

Nominee: Short Cuts – Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Reunion – Whistledown Productions for BBC Radio 4



Best Sports Programme

Gold: The Day We Won Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Gerr’um On Side – 102.4 Wish FM & 107.2 Wire FM

Bronze: 5 live Sport – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: The Team That Never Was – BBC Radio Oxford

Nominee: World Football – BBC World Service Sport for BBC World Service



Best News & Current Affairs Programme

Gold: PM – BBC Radio 4

Silver: Call Clegg – LBC 97.3

Bronze: Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: Asian Network Reports – BBC News for BBC Asian Network

Nominee: The World at One – BBC Radio 4



Best Coverage of a Live Event

Gold: The Death of Nelson Mandela – BBC World Service News and BBC Africa Service for BBC World Service

Silver: Great North Run 2013 – Metro Radio

Bronze: The Dambusters – 70 Years On – BBC Radio 2 with TBI Media and Snappin’ Turtle Productions for BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball – The Capital Network for Capital FM

Nominee: Live@Wimbledon Radio – the AELTC’s Official Radio Coverage of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships – IMG Media Ltd for Live@Wimbledon Radio



Best Community Programming

Gold: Slavery on our Streets – LBC 97.3

Silver: The Joy of Reading – BBC Radio Oxford

Bronze: Knives Wreck Lives – 107.6 Juice FM

Nominee: Free Radio Walk for Kids – Orion Media for Free Radio

Nominee: Pete’s Pensioner Party – BBC WM 95.6



Music Radio Personality of the Year

Gold: Sam & Amy – Gem 106

Silver: Radcliffe & Maconie – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Graham Norton – BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Christian O’Connell – Absolute Radio



Music Radio Broadcaster of the Year

Gold: Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1

Silver: Scroobius Pip – The XFM Network

Bronze: Tom Service – BBC Radio 3 Music Department for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: Guy Garvey – BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: Mary Anne Hobbs – Wise Buddah for BBC Radio 6 Music



Speech Radio Personality of the Year

Gold: Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Alan Robson – Metro Radio & TFM

Bronze: Phin Adams – Cam FM

Nominee: Johnny Vaughan – talkSPORT

Nominee: Nick Ferrari – LBC 97.3



Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year

Gold: Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Jane Garvey – BBC Factual for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Melvyn Bragg – BBC Factual for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Justin Webb – BBC News for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Rony Robinson – BBC Radio Sheffield



National Radio Journalist of the Year

Gold: Tom Swarbrick – LBC 97.3

Silver: Becky Milligan – BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Ian Pannell – BBC News for BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service

Nominee: Declan Harvey – BBC News for BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra Newsbeat

Nominee: Jon Manel – BBC Radio 4



Local Radio Journalist of the Year

Gold: BBC Radio Norfolk News Team – BBC Radio Norfolk

Silver: Radio City & City Talk News Team – Radio City & City Talk

Bronze: The Nolan Show Team – BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: Heart North West and Wales News Team – Heart North West and Wales

Nominee: Jo Taylor – BBC Radio Cambridgeshire



Best Interview of the Year

Gold: Winifred Robinson interviews Ralph Bulger – BBC Radio Documentaries for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Iain Dale interviews James in Woolwich – LBC 97.3

Bronze: Becky Milligan interviews the wife of a child sex offender – BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Iain Lee interviews Stephen Conroy – BBC Three Counties Radio

Nominee: Stephen Sackur interviews Pavel Khodorkovsky – BBC News for BBC World Service



Best Use of Branded Content



Gold: The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show with Wickes – Absolute Radio

Silver: More Tomorrows on Classic FM with Cancer Research UK – Classic FM

Bronze: The Manuscript with Just for Men – TBI Media for Absolute Radio

Nominee: BOWIE with the Victoria & Albert Museum – TBI Media for Absolute Radio

Nominee: XFM Presents with Ford SYNC – The XFM Network



Best Promotional Campaign

Gold: Wimbledon 2013 – BBC Global News Creative Services for BBC World Service

Silver: The Sound of Cinema on 6 Music – BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Saturday Night at the Movies with Howard Goodall – Classic FM

Nominee: The Last Of Us – XFM/Global Radio Creative/Drum for The XFM Network

Nominee: The Voices of Birmingham and the Black Country – BBC WM 95.6 and Fresh Air Production for BBC WM 95.6



Best Competition

Gold: The Heart House – Heart West Midlands

Silver: 500 Words – BBC Radio 2

Bronze: Fifty Grand Friday – Real Radio Group

Nominee: A Flag for Worcestershire – BBC Hereford & Worcester

Nominee: Christian O’Connell - Make ‘Em or Break ‘Em! – Absolute Radio



Best Station Imaging

Gold: KISS FM (UK)

Silver: TeamRock Radio

Bronze: BBC Radio 2

Nominee: BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: The Capital Network



Radio Brand of the Year

Gold: The Absolute Radio Network

Silver: KISS UK

Bronze: Capital

Nominee: Classic FM

Nominee: Planet Rock



Best Music Feature or Documentary

Gold: Soul Music: Strange Fruit – BBC Bristol for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Adam Buxton on David Bowie – BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Who Sold The Soul – Factual & Music Department, BBC Wales for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Dambusters – 70 Years On – TBI Media with Snappin’ Turtle Productions for BBC Radio 2

Nominee: The Sash My Father Wore – BBC Radio Ulster



Best News Feature or Documentary

Gold: Tempted by Teacher – markthree media for BBC Radio 1

Silver: Assignment: The Man Who Fell to Earth – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Bronze: Slavery on our Streets – LBC 97.3

Nominee: Crossroads: The Girls – Prison Radio Association for BBC Radio 1

Nominee: The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute – TBI Media for BBC Radio 2



Best Feature or Documentary

Gold: Between the Ears: Mighty Beast – BBC Bristol for BBC Radio 3

Silver: Johnny Cash and the Forgotten Prison Blues – Unique for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: The Day We Won Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: A Different Kind of Justice – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Advice from the Edge of Life – BBC Radio Scotland



Best Comedy

Gold: The Secret World – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Silver: John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Here Be Dragons – John Stanley Productions Ltd for BBC Radio Wales

Nominee: Bridget Christie Minds The Gap – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Blagger’s Guide To Doctor Who – Unique for BBC Radio 2



Best Drama

Gold: The Morpeth Carol – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Darkside – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 2

Bronze: Lost and Found – BBC Salford for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Babbage – Pier Productions Ltd for BBC Radio 3

Nominee: How To Have A Perfect Marriage – Sparklab Productions for BBC Radio 4



Best Creative Innovation

Gold: #Lipdublincoln – BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Silver: Now Playing @6Music – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: The voice of the under 20s across the UK – Podium.me

Nominee: #BBCtrending – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Nominee: TBI Minute by Minute Interactive – TBI Media



Best Technical Innovation

Gold: InStream for Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio

Silver: Multi Player Competition Technology – Wise Buddah

Bronze: Responsive Radio and Unified Station Management – University Radio Bath

Nominee: BBC Playlister – BBC Radio Multiplatform & BBC Future Media

Nominee: RadioDNS Hybrid Radio in a Smartphone – Global Radio Creative Technology



Station of the Year (under 1 million)

Gold: BBC Tees

Nominee: Moray Firth Radio

Nominee: National Prison Radio



Station of the Year (1 million plus)

Gold: BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: LBC 97.3

Nominee: Metro Radio



UK Station of the Year

Gold: BBC Radio 2

Nominee: BBC Radio 4

Nominee: talkSPORT



Gold Award

Tony Blackburn



Special Award

The Production & Presentation Team for Call Clegg & Ask Boris - LBC



I think we can now just accept that Danny Baker is the best at radio, can't we?

Twittergem: Barlow's OBE

My cartoon - I didn’t realise that the Conservative Party is a charity! #Barlow pic.twitter.com/0mrMJJlOaf

— Martin Shovel (@MartinShovel) May 12, 2014

Labelobit: Alan Wills

Alan Wills, drummer with Shack, Top and The Farm and founder of Deltasonic, has died.

The importance of Deltasonic's support for Liverpool's music scene is shown by the one paragraph from the Echo:

Mr Wills went on to sign some of the biggest and most influential bands to come out of Merseyside in a generation, including the Zutons, The Dead 60's, The Little Flames, The Rascals, The Basement, Candie Payne, The Longcut and The Suzukis, The Sand Band, The Tigerpicks and The Dirty Rivers.

And that's without even mentioning the Coral - for whom Alan originally founded the label - or the publishing arm of the business.

Wills died Sunday following a cycling accident on Thursday night, which the police are investigating:

Inquiries into the crash are continuing, with witnesses being spoken to.

Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.

Inspector Mike McFall, said: “We are investigating the full circumstances of this incident and would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and might have seen something to call police.

“The information you provide could be really important for our inquiries.

“The incident took place on East Prescot Road near the junction with Ashover Avenue, which is a busy area, and I would urge anyone with information to call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 5747 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

"I'm sorry, Mr Am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave"

Apparently, United Airlines kicked Will I Am out their first class lounge because they didn't believe his ID card was genuine.

"Yes, I can see the photo looks like you, but you're not prattling away on a mobile phone in this picture so I'm not sure it's genuine, sir."

The BBC has announced following this, they're going to ask to have a second look at the credentials claiming Will I Am was some sort of expert before they let him back into the Voice studio.

Miley Cyrus has apparently done the impossible

The Daily Star makes quite a claim this morning:

Miley Cyrus shocks London's G-A-Y club with revealing outfit and raunchy show

Really, Daily Star? She "shocked" GAY, did she?

First, this is Miley Cyrus. You remember Miley Cyrus? She did the simulated anal sex with Robin Thicke on a televised awards show, and used that as the starting point for the sexualisation of her act.

Second, this is GAY. A place where the acts are seldom clothed, unless you count liquid latex and body paint. Seriously, if the archbishop of Canterbury turned up in stuffed Speedos backed by naked nuns with robo-dildo strap-ons, the audience would head to the bar muttering "well, he IS a man of the cloth so you'd expect something fairly tame, wouldn't you?"

Nobody hearing 'Miley Cyrus playing at GAY' would have turned up expecting a buttoned-up dress and an acoustic performance.

In fact, Cyrus' show is probably only just-about the most outrageous since, ooh, a fortnight back, when Lily Allen turned up as Beyonce-as-performed-by-a-drag-act. Which at least had a bit of thought put into it.

This week just gone

The most-read stories across the site this week:

1. Eurovision liveblog
2. Terry Christian wants people to have tests before marriage
3. Simon Bates smoothed out of his job
4. Faint Lines have an awkward photo moment
5. Brotherhood Of Man get a better offer than Eurovision
6. You won't believe how many tapes kids are buying. You really won't.
7. Gary Barlow: tax avoider
8. Noel Gallagher's gay past "in a manner of speaking"
9. Apple sniff Beats
10. All the US Now tracks, ever

These were the interesting releases:


Tuneyards - Nikki Nack

Download Nikki Nack



Bis - Data Panik etcetera

Download Data Panik etcetera



Gruff Rhys - American Interior



Natalie Merchant - Natalie Merchant

Download Natalie Merchant



Brian Eno & Karl Hyde - Someday World

Download Someday World



Roddy Frame - Seven Dials

Download Seven Dials



Ben Harper & Ellen Harper - Childhood Home

Download Childhood Home



Die So Fluid - The Opposites Of Light

Download The Opposites Of Light