Here is my letter to record company bosses (and BPI owners)... hopefully they care more about selling music than the BPI Chairman does.


I'm really worried that the BPI is avoiding a crucial chance to boost industry sales.

My Record of the Year Show concept had around 9 million viewers every year from 1998 to 2006.
It was conceived in order to boost retail in the runup to Christmas every year by giving three hours of prime time weekend TV to promoting music.
It had no problems with my personal difficulties and ITV happily continued to carry it during my incarceration and after my release.
It did suffer from lack of creative input - I'd have moved on from "phone voting" after Simon borrowed the concept (sweetly after asking my permission, which I happily gave as I'd borrowed the concept myself when adapting Eurovision).

And that simplistic voting allowed teen fans to hijack the process, so teen bands tended to win.
So I would have updated the format - but it was cancelled for another reason entirely; the executive at ITV at the time - Guy Freeman - felt it was not "musically credible" enough. He replaced it with an ill advised album track show - you may or may not remember, it got 2 million viewers and was cancelled.
So was Guy.

Peter Fincham has expressed interest in reviving the Record of the Year Show but has not done so. This year would be perfect as The X Factor is scheduled to finish a week early - apart from anything else this means the Christmas No1 is on Christmas Day (a Sunday)… and also means Saturday 19th has a gap - perfect to be filled by The Record of the Year.
I know that the Boyzone album did a million more CDs than it would have done after they won our first show (Kennedy told me so the next January). The spill over effect of inspiring music presents is massive - far larger than the Valentines/Brits bounce.
But we need serious pressure to be put onto ITV or the BBC.

Adele, Bruno Mars, Jessie J, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry - already this is shaping up as potentially a great show.
My plan is to have a smaller event with far better voting (involving football fans and the Royal Mail, for example) which itself would boost promotion.
I've had dozens of messages from industry people begging me to get the shows back on TV.

I know the BPI has become essentially an umbrella sinecure for failed executives but I remember when it started - it should be, and can be, a terrific and powerful force for the good in our industry. But it needs a massive kick up the backside.
Please deliver one for the sake of music. And it needs to be fast - we have to get a nod by October.

Excerpt from reply from Tony Wadsworth...

Having spoken to the companies on many occasions about this over the years I would have to say there is no one pushing for the return of Record of the Year at this point so the BPI won't be able to support your bid to get it back on TV.

You only quote an except. Does he give any reason why no support from record companies?

No the rest was apology for not answering sooner, general and personal stuff.

I find it extraordinary that the executives at the majors aren't screaming to support the concept but this isn't the same industry I knew up to 11 years ago.

The two main majors, Universal & Sony, have their individual deals with the BBC and/or ITV. So there is no need for them to support another show which might divert attention from their shows (Idol, X Factor etc.).

I don't think they would be so stupid as to think an extra show would detract from their connections DJ. No, sadly I think it's simple lack of ability that explains their disinterest. Failing to support such a project has no down side for them personally; only a small down side for their companies; and though a big down side for the industry in general, that won't lose them their jobs or eliminate their bonuses. And the damage to music longterm won't affect them; we are talking a few years away. So why bother? That, I'm certain, is the problem.

"The deterioration of the industry is inevitable and the result of the new technology" would be their explanation.