UK vinyl sales reach highest level since 1990

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Toby Byrne, who rose over two-decades to run advertising sales for Fox Broadcasting and Fox Sports, is getting back into the TV-ad game. Byrne has been named executive vice president of national ad sales at A+E Networks, reporting to Peter Olsen, president of ad sales at the company, which is a joint venture of Hearst and Walt Disney Co.

Taylor Swift, new figures have shown.New data from Billboard shows that 49.61million vinyl records were sold in the States last year, of which Swift accounted for a huge 3.484million of those, or 7 per cent.The new numbers come after it was revealed that one in every 78 song streams in the US last year was also a Taylor Swift track.In results from the BPI in the UK, female musicians were shown to have dominated the best-selling albums and singles over the past 12 months, however, concerns were raised about new talent finding it harder to emerge on the charts.Elsewhere, Swift’s concert film The Eras Tour has officially become the highest-grossing concert movie of all time – overtaking Michael Jackson‘s This Is It with an overall global taking of $261.6million (£206m) – and a course on Taylor Swift at Harvard University has proved so popular that the institution is seeking more teaching assistants to help deliver it.Matthew Vaughn, the director of upcoming spy action comedy movie, Argylle, has also had to deny the theory that Taylor Swift is responsible for the book on which the movie is based.On January 9, a novel titled Argylle was released, written by a pseudonymous author going by the name Elly Conway. The book involves a spy novelist who gets roped into the world of espionage, assassins and feuds, all accompanied by her cat, Alfie.Some fans of Swift have been theorising that the mysterious novel was written by the US singer.

Michelle Keegan's Fool Me Once outfits have been wowing fans lately, but we're just as impressed with her wardrobe off screen. Whether it's her date night looks with hubby Mark Wright or her red carpet style, Michelle always looks fab.The star of Netflix's new TV series, Fool Me Once, is known for wearing both high street and designer items, and you can copy her style thanks to her collection at Very.

Cinema export agency Unifrance’s annual international box office report for 2023 revealed on Tuesday that Russia was the top market in terms of admissions for French cinema last year.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ben Aldridge (“Knock at the Cabin”) and Martina Garcia (“The Hidden Face”) have joined the cast of “Dear Paris,” Marjane Satrapi‘s (“Persepolis”) ensemble drama which is one Studiocanal‘s highlights at this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase, along with Gilles Lellouche‘s sprawling romance thriller “Beating Hearts.” “Dear Paris” (“Paris Paradis”), produced by Vito Films, is a dark comedy set in the French capital where a flurry of charming characters confront death only to embrace life once again. The film also stars Monica Bellucci as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, as well as Eduardo Noriega, André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem and singer-turned-actor Gwendal Marimoutou (“Sam”).

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still hanging around after a tough loss of their starting point guard and forward Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. Donovan Mitchell, the other member of the Cavalier’s frontcourt, has held down the fort while his friend and teammate heals up. When DG the PG be making his return to action? Hollywood News Daily looks to uncover that information.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is releasing ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ on 7” vinyl for the first time, following the viral resurgence of the song after its appearance in Saltburn.The track will be available on a limited edition red 7”, and there will also be a limited edition red CD single. Both formats are available to pre-order here, and will be released on February 16 via Polydor/Universal.Ellis-Bextor has also released a seven-track ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ EP to streaming services, which includes the track’s original B-side ‘Never Let Me Down’, as well as remixes of ‘Dancefloor’ from Jewels & Stone, Danny D, Hq and Twin Murder.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ginger & Fed, the new international film sales arm of Federation Entertainment headed by former TF1 Studio boss Sabine Chemaly, will launch several high profile titles at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, including “The Future Awaits,” Niels Tavernier’s WWII-set drama based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor. Ginger & Fed will also bow sales on “Riviera Revenge,” a heartwarming comedy starring André Dussollier (“The Crime is Mine”), Sabine Azéma (“Tanguy”) and Thierry Lhermitte (“The Dinner Game”), along with continuing deals on “Rachel’s Game,” “Survive” and “Oldies and Goodies.” Produced by Yves Darondeau at Bonne Pioche Cinema (“March of the Penguins”), “The Future Awaits” tells the story of Tauba Birenbaum, whose testimony was collected in July 1997 to become part of Steven Spielberg’s Institute for Visual History.

Scottish Labour has called for a public health levy on booze sales to help fund alcohol and drug treatment services.

ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association, the value of UK music rose seven per cent to an all-time new record of £11.9billion.The ERA say the “main driver of growth” in 2023 came via streaming and digital services, which increased their revenue by more than £800million in one year. Streaming now accounts for 91.7 per cent of the total revenue for UK music nationally.As well as streaming, sales of vinyl increased by 18 per cent, and CD sales also saw a two per cent increase in sales – the first value increase in the medium in almost twenty years.It means music revenues were at their highest since 2002 and are now just 0.8 per cent below the music industry’s greatest revenue year of 2001.ERA Chairman Ben Drury said of the statistics: “The entertainment business is defying gravity, delivering eleven straight years of growth regardless of wider economic conditions.“Due credit should go to the amazing creative talent behind the movies, music and games we all love, but we should also recognise the huge contribution of the digital services and retailers who have reinvented the entertainment experience for consumers over the past 15 years,” he continued.“The overwhelming majority of the money raised by digital services and retailers goes direct to the content owners, and their success is directly benefitting creators.”ERA CEO Kim Bayley added: “With revenues just a fraction away from music’s all-time-high, this is a red letter day for the music industry and is a testament not just to the creativity of artists, but to the entrepreneurial drive of digital services and retailers.“A world without streaming now seems unthinkable.

Mean Girls is on top!

Cocteau Twins have announced that their final studio album ‘Milk & Kisses’ is to receive an official re-release.The album was first released in March 1996 via Fontana Records in the UK and was their eighth LP, including the fan-favourite tracks ‘Tishbite’, ‘Violane’ and ‘Eperdu’.The group did re-convene two years later, with the intention of recording their next full-length, but the sessions fell through, and no further albums were made.The re-issued version of the album is available to order now here, and is presented in audiophile 140gm vinyl by Proper Records, in collaboration with Universal Music Recordings. The labels say they have paid “scrupulous attention to the detail of the original UK first pressings”.Last September, the band’s vocalist Elizabeth Fraser had an asteroid named after her by the International Astronomical Union.“It does not pose a threat to humankind and will not collide with Earth for millions of years,” the Union noted, reassuringly.

BBC archival equipment and vinyl is set to take place this month.Run by Omega Auctions – who have been granted access to the BBC archives – the listing is filled with rare vinyl, equipment and BBC memorabilia, ready for a hefty series of online sales. The auction is a treasure trove for vinyl collectors and BBC fans.Things on offer include hard-to-find analogue kits and essential LPs which have been sourced from one of the best music archives in the world.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have faced many injuries already as we approach the halfway point in the 2023-24 NBA season. The Cavs have had to battle and scrap their way through many of their current wins.

EXCLUSIVE: Terrifier 2 and 3 sales firm The Coven is making its first foray into production with exorcist horror Shadow Of God, which quietly wrapped principal photography in Calgary, Canada, last month.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Sarah Personette, who quit as Twitter’s head of ad sales after Elon Musk bought the social network in the fall of 2022, has landed a new gig as CEO of digital news startup Puck. Personette will start at New York-based Puck on Jan. 7, assuming the role at the company that has been vacant since the exit of Puck co-founder Joe Purzycki in May 2023.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has set a Broadway record for weekly ticket sales for a non-musical play, reporting a gross of $2,718,487.50 for the week ending Sunday. It was one of several high marks achieved for Main Stem shows in 2023’s final box office frame.

Brent Lang Executive Editor “Wonka,” a musical fantasy that has been the biggest hit of the holiday season, topped the box office on New Year’s Eve, closing 2023 on a sweet note. The film, which stars Timothée Chalamet as a more youthful Willy Wonka, grossed $22.7 million for the weekend and a projected $29.5 million for the four-day holiday. That brings the domestic gross to $140.2 million, a strong result for the $125 million production.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most headline-making teams in the NFL right now, and they’re continuing to make waves with their performance this season.

There are so many different traditions we love participating in over the festive season, but one of our favourites has to be the Boxing Day sales. Whether you’re after a couple of post- Christmas treats for yourself, have some additional late presents to buy, or are already getting a head start on next year’s Christmas presents (and if you’re that organised we salute you), it’s the perfect time to get your hands on some bargains.