Planning Objections - More than 1,700 people have objected to the expansion of Sky Studios in Elstree. A planning application has been submitted to add 10 sound stages to the yet-to-be-opened site in Hertfordshire. Campaign group Save Hertsmere said the extension would mean "urban sprawl right up to the pretty hamlet of Well End, with all the noise, light and traffic pollution that brings".
Sky Studios Elstree was "committed to working in partnership with the local community, including Save Hertsmere, who are members of our Community Board". The current facility in Elstree has 13 sound stages on a 32-acre site and is due to open at the end of the year. It will be used by Sky, other Comcast-owned firms including NBC Universal, and be open to third parties. The film adaptation of the musical Wicked! is due to be the first feature film made at the studios.
MTV Awards - Taylor Swift won four trophies at the MTV Europe Music Awards. The singer, whose latest album Midnights has topped the charts all around the world, was named best artist and best pop act. She also won best video and best longform video, both for All Too Well, starring Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink. Harry Styles, Blackpink and Nicki Minaj also took home trophies. Swift is now tied with Lady Gaga as the singer with most MTV Europe awards. Both acts have 12 each.
Camp Bestival - Grace Jones, Craig David and The Kooks will be among the headliners for Camp Bestival's 15th birthday event in Dorset, organisers have announced. The family festival returns to Lulworth Castle from 27 to 30 July 2023. Melanie C, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sam Ryder, Ella Henderson and Confidence Man are also among the performers. A sister Camp Bestival show will be held in Shropshire in August after making its debut last year.
The BBC is celebrating the centenary of its first official broadcast - a news bulletin that included a court report from the Old Bailey, details of London fog disruption, and billiards scores. It was broadcast by London station 2LO, but new research shows many early BBC moments came from northern England. Manchester station 2ZY aired the first children's show and introduced the first regular weather forecast. Birmingham's 5IT station broadcast the first "official concert"
BBC Birthday - The BBC that began broadcasting at 6pm on 14 November 1922 was not the British Broadcasting Corporation of today. It was in fact the British Broadcasting Company and was made up of separate stations around the country operated by different companies.
Help Musicians - Almost half of musicians fear they will have to leave the industry due to the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of other issues such as Brexit, a survey warns. Charity Help Musicians said it had seen a significant rise in musicians struggling financially and suffering from negative mental health compared with during the pandemic, describing the situation as "brutal" for musicians.
In a study conducted by the charity of more than 500 professional musicians from the UK, many of whom work within musical theatre and as freelancers, 49% said they were "very" or "extremely" concerned they would be forced to leave the industry due to finances or for their mental health.
This percentage has doubled compared with the survey conducted at the same time last year, which saw 22% of musicians contemplating leaving the sector. Six in 10 of the musicians surveyed said they were worse off financially now than last year, with eight in 10 earning less income from music than before the pandemic lockdowns started in March 2020.
(Jim Evans)
15 November 2022

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