Well yesterday was day one in the High Court battle being made by everyone’s least favourite ex-Sun editor, Kelvin MacKenzie. He’s suing RAJAR for sixty million pounds in lost revenue, because they haven’t adopted the audience measurement technology he likes.
RAJAR is the organisation that’s owned jointly by the BBC and commercial radio to supply listening figures to the radio industry. It employs around 3 people who are then in charge of subcontracting the actual research to another company, IPSOS. Trying to sue to company for cash is ludicrous, because it basically spends every penny subscribers give it, on research.
The idea that because an organisation doesn’t do what you want it to, that you can sue it, is ridiculous in the extreme. MacKenzie publishes his own figures, and there’s nothing to stop him selling his airtime on the basis of them. He just has to persuade ad agencies that they’re good figures.
Anyway, RAJAR are pushing to get the case struck out before it goes to court proper. It should be over today, with a judgement inside a week.