While we're still umming and ahhing about digital radio here in Australia, it's well established in the UK. In fact, they are just about to roll out what's described as a "killer application" that will allow listeners to download songs they like as soon as they hear them on air. Now that's got to be good news for the radio and music industries - who will both make money from the paid-for service. However, at the rate we're taking up technology now it'll be years before we have it here. Details here (requires registration).

The world has lost some great entertainers in the past few days. French actor Philippe Noiret, US jazz singer Anita O'Day, Broadway producer Betty Comden and BBC radio journalist Nick Clarke have all been added to my Celebrity Deaths Archive.

Not long ago, I received an email from EMI about the new satirical CD from The 12th Man, Boned, and I posted an item about it on my other blog. The email noted how well previous 12th Man albums had done and how well the company expected this one to do. Today comes news that EMI is threatening to sue the Australian sports supporters' club, the Fanatics, for changing the lyrics to some of its songs. Now I absolutley support an artist's right to protect his or her intellectual property, but I think it's funny how big corporations only have a sense of humour when there's money to be made.

As I said on my other blog:

And the Michael Cole Award* for most boorish behaviour by a visiting celebrity involving a bottle of liquor goes to Johnny Knoxville. In other ARIA Awards news, didn’t Queenslanders Bernard Fanning, The Veronicas and Troy Cassar-Daley do well? I thought it interesting, though, that the two awards based on actual record sales went to industry “outsiders” (i.e. people who don’t fit the image that the music biz likes to present and don’t get played a lot on mainstream radio) - dance act TV Rock featuring Seany B (biggest-selling single) and reborn boy band Human Nature (biggest-selling album)..

* Michael Cole was the star of The Mod Squad who, in a tired and emotional state, swore during the Logies telecast in 1973.

What's the world coming to? Elton John is going all hip-hop on us. What next? Eminem's favourite polkas? A Julie Andrews cover of Anarchy in the UK? Pat Boone sings heavy metal? Hang on, that last one has already been done.

From superstar to street sweeper. That's the fate of Culture Club singer "Boy George" O'Dowd. The 45-year-old will spend five days cleaning New York streets as his punishment for wasting police time over a bizarre incident where he called the cops to the scene of a crime that never happened. O'Dowd joked that he had "always been a scrubber" but said he'd be better off giving a charity concert. Perhaps, but who would come?