For the record: 27/04/2009

"The board will now commence a formal search for the next CEO" says ITV, after accepting Michael Grade's decision to stand down as chief executive a year earlier than planned

A sound appointee

The record business might be under threat from piracy but it's not beyond plundering the radio industry for talent. First, Universal Music picked up Lesley Douglas following her departure from Radio 2 over the Sachsgate affair. Now Andria Vidler, the woman who oversaw Magic FM's emergence as a national radio brand, has been poached to become the new president of EMI (UK & Ireland). At Bauer, Vidler, above, was in charge of the music titles Q, Mojo and Kerrang!, although her hobbies are less rock 'n' roll: she enjoys tending moorhens and koi carp.

'Telegraph' twits

The Daily Telegraph included in its online Budget coverage a "Twitterfall" feature that allowed users of Twitter to "tweet" their comments about Alistair Darling's rescue plan for the economy. The Twitterfall was briefly taken down after being bombarded with such informed comments as "I like cheese on toast with a side portion of poo and wee", and "Do we get paid by the word for this?" There then ensued a furious flamewar on Twitter between my old pal Charles Arthur, The Guardian's Technology Editor, who ridiculed the idea, and the Telegraph's journalists Shane Richmond (Communities Editor) and Justin Williams (Assistant Editor), for the defence. "Thesauruses at dawn," said one amused observer. "Let's get tweady to twumble," announced another.

Parky preaches

Michael Parkinson, the chat show king and chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, opened that institution's new Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism with some cautionary words: "Local papers are under threat and are closing," he said. "They're a vital part of a community, most importantly as a means of ensuring local authorities serve the public in a right and proper manner, as well as being a sounding board for opinion, and a guide to what's going on." Rod Hull's Emu wouldn't quibble with him on that.