Business Diary: Doug didn't want to join the gang anyway

Does Doug Williams, head of the Centre for Economic and Business Research, feel snubbed? He wasn't asked to sign any of the letters dispatched by groups of economists last week on spending cuts, but wants it known he would have said no if he had been. "The fact that a number of Nobel Prize winners have signed such letters says more about the low quality of people receiving Nobel prizes than the credibility of the letters," Doug adds.

Ryanair revisionism back on the runway

Yet another triumphant release arrives from Ryanair, banging on about its wonderful customer service. It trumpets 81 per cent of flights arriving on time in January 2010, down from 89 per cent in January 2009, and complaints more than doubling from 0.88 per 1,000 customers to 2.12. If this is doing well, what's it like when the airline is doing badly?

DSGi aims to get to Thurrock first

Electricals giant DSGi has asked analysts to a strategy update at its Currys "megastore" in Thurrock, Essex, but the move could end up generating substantial coverage for rival Best Buy, the US giant, which plans to open there in the spring. No doubt DSGi is keen to tell the world it is not scared of the world's biggest electronics retailer, but it is certainly inviting questions about Best Buy.

Your chance to tread the board

The trustees of Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London have hired top headhunter Jan Hall's JCA Group to help them find a new chief executive, with Peter Kyle due to retire from the role in November after more than 12 years. An appetite for tragedy and comedy is required: just send your history to JCA.

It's access all areas for CNBC

Good news for business news junkies who don't pay for cable or satellite television. Business news channel CNBC has launched on Freesat, which means more viewers will now be able to pick it up for no cost. Now you too can try and make sense of the three rolling news tickers the channel runs simultaneously across the bottom of the screen.

Number of the day: 22

Years of service of Luminar founder Stephen Thomas, who yesterday quit the nightclub operator.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk