UK Charts Contract Extended

Millward Brown has been awarded an extension to its current contract to chart sales for the UK audio and video market with the new contract running until the end of June 2006.

The contract has been awarded by 'The Official UK Charts Company', a joint venture between the BPI, the record companies' trade association, and BARD, the record retailers' trade association.

'All the UK's recognised audio and video sales charts are covered by the contract, including the prestigious 'Official UK Top 40' as used by BBC Radio One, Top of the Pops, Music Week, and most national UK newspapers,' said Bob Barnes, Millward Brown UK's chart director.

At the end of the contract period, Millward Brown will have compiled the charts for more than 12 years. Since taking over the charts, the scale and scope of the survey has changed enormously. Sales are logged from over 5,000 outlets, five times as many as in 1994, and now include sales from Internet retailers. The charts are published faster than ever before, with the industry receiving the previous week's data, including sales right up to midnight Saturday, by Sunday lunchtime. In addition, the industry now receives daily updates throughout the week by mid-morning.

Bob added 'We have proven that we have the skills and systems to handle this massive undertaking, which involves processing in excess of 250 million units annually, and look to the future with confidence. Our next task is to incorporate downloads from the Internet'.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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