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The Media Research Information Bureau (MRIB) was a music chart research company that operated in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 2008. It was best known for compiling the chart data for The Network Chart Show which was broadcast by many TV and radio shows, as well as being published in many music newspapers and magazines.[1] MRIB also compiled other genre charts for the United Kingdom.[2]

History

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Foundation

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MRIB was founded in 1981,[3] by Luke Crampton,[4] and Dafydd Rees.[5][6] In December 1984, data from MRIB showed that pirate radio station Laser 558 had an audience of nearly five million people.[7]

The Network Chart

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Main article: The Network Chart Show

MRIB's Network Chart was a rival competitor to the "official" UK chart that was compiled by Gallup and that is now published by the Official Charts Company (OCC).[8][9] MRIB's Network Chart was broadcast by more than 40 commercial and Independent Local Radio stations. It was reported in March 1991 that the Network Chart compiled by MRIB had a radio audience size that was gaining on the BBC Radio 1 chart show which broadcast the chart that was compiled by Gallup for the OCC (then CIN).[10] Later that month Music & Media magazine reported that they were switching to publishing the MRIB charts for the UK which they would also use to compile the European Hot 100 Singles and European Top 100 Albums charts.[11] There were sometimes public disputes over accuracy between Gallup and MRIB such as when the former placed Whitney Houston's single "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at number 10 while the latter placed it at number 2 in the same week.[12] MRIB's Network Chart was published in music publications NME, Melody Maker,[13] and Sounds,[14] as well as on ITV's Teletext service.[13] MRIB's Network Chart used sales data starting from different days of the week from those Gallup used for its Radio 1 chart.[15] However, in July 1993 it was announced that the Top 10 of the Network Chart would use the same sales data as Gallup's chart for CIN and Radio 1, when Pepsi took over sponsorship from Nescafé, but that the lower 11-40 positions would still combine sales with radio airplay data. This new Network Chart was compiled by Spotlight Publications who beat MRIB to the contract.[16] Although MRIB's chart was no longer broadcast on commercial and independent radio, it was still used in publications such as NME and Melody Maker.[17][18][19][20]

Other charts

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MRIB also compiled the UK Independent Singles and Albums Charts that were published in many newspapers and magazines such as Melody Maker.[21] Alongside the Network Chart, they also compiled regional charts for ILR stations such as the London chart used on Alan Freeman's Pick of the Pops Take Two on Capital Radio and the North East England chart used on Metro Radio and published in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.[22] In the 1980s MRIB compiled the disco charts for the UK that were published in Record Business (which was later absorbed into Music Week and published as the Disco and Dance chart).[23][24][25] From 1982 through the 1990s the UK rock charts that were published in Kerrang! magazine were also compiled by MRIB.[26][27][28] In the early 90s, MRIB compiled BSkyb's UK Top 40 chart which was shown on Sky One.[29] Although MRIB's Network Chart was a direct rival to the chart that was compiled by Gallup for CIN/OCC and broadcast by BBC Radio 1, the same radio station announced in 1995 that it was launching the 1FM Artist Chart that combined album and singles sales and would be compiled by MRIB. This had apparently disappointed CIN,[30] and the British Phonographic Industry as reported by Music Week on 14 January 1995.[31] However, it was later reported on 29 April 1995 that CIN would be taking over compiling the chart from MRIB.[32] From 1998 to 2001, MRIB also compiled the World Beat album chart show for CNN International.[4][33] In 2002, Emap announced that they would be launching their own Smash Hits chart for its FM radio stations such as Kiss and that it would be compiled using sales data from MRIB.[34]

Demise

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MRIB closed in 2008,[3] but the Network Chart was taken over by other companies and re-branded a number of times, until it was relaunched in January, 2019 as The Official Big Top 40, again as a rival to BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart that is compiled by OCC.

References

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  1. ^ "The Network Chart" (PDF). Music Week. October 12, 1991. p. 13. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Parker, Martin (1991). "Reading the Charts - Making Sense with the Hit Parade". Popular Music. Vol. 10. Cambridge University Press. pp. 206–207. JSTOR 853061.
  3. ^ a b "Media Research Information Bureau (M.R.I.B.) Limited". companysearchesmadesimple.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Hay, Carla (May 9, 1998). "CNN Launching Weekly Music Series" (PDF). Billboard. p. 75. Retrieved June 7, 2020. Continued from page 1
  5. ^ MTV Pop and Rock World Records 2011 Hardcover – 14 Oct. 2010. ASIN 1847326374.
  6. ^ "Luke Crampton & Dafydd Rees". Taschen. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "Laser claims 5m audience in the UK" (PDF). Music Week. December 8, 1984. p. 2. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  8. ^ Bakker, Machgiel (April 8, 1989). "Pan European News - BRMB Playlist - DJ Feedback" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 6. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Compiled by MRIB, who also put together the Network Chart - the rival to the Gallup list
  9. ^ "UK Independent Charts Are Upgraded" (PDF). Music & Media. October 17, 1987. p. 3. Retrieved June 6, 2020. MRIB's new panel represents more than 10% of the UK record retail market. But the Network Chart has yet to respond to the changed timing of the rival Gallup chart which has been brought forward two days
  10. ^ Fielder, Hugh (March 2, 1991). "Big Audience Gains for 'Network Chart Show'" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 5. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "M&M Publishes MRIB Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. March 16, 1991. p. 3. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  12. ^ "Rock Over London" (PDF). Music & Media. June 13, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Barrow, Tony; Newby, Julian (2003). Inside the Music Business. Routledge. p. 90. ISBN 9781134777181. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Charts". Sounds. January 26, 1991. p. 42. Retrieved June 17, 2022. Compiled by MRIB
  15. ^ "Dealers block BBC bid for Sunday Gallup chart" (PDF). Music Week. July 13, 1985. p. 4. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Network Chart opts for official CIN data" (PDF). Music Week. July 3, 1993. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  17. ^ "Charts". Melody Maker. MRIB. September 11, 1993. p. 28. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  18. ^ "Charts". NME. MRIB. September 11, 1993. p. 60. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  19. ^ "Charts – Top 30 UK Singles". Melody Maker. MRIB. December 18, 1993. p. 28. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "Charts". NME. MRIB. December 18, 1993. p. 11. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  21. ^ "Charts of the Year - The Best Selling Records of 1989". Melody Maker. MRIB. January 6, 1990. p. 2. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Charts compiled by MRIB
  22. ^ British Newspaper Archive listings from 1 June 1985 to 4 July 1992
  23. ^ "Disco Top 50" (PDF). Record Business. November 22, 1982. p. 10. Retrieved June 7, 2020. Compiled for Record Business by MRIB
  24. ^ "Club play clout" (PDF). Music Week. April 7, 1984. p. 28. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  25. ^ "Disco and Dance albums" (PDF). Music Week. June 22, 1985. p. 26. Retrieved September 12, 2021. Compiled by MRIB
  26. ^ "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 20. July 15, 1982. Charts compiled by MRIB. (The first chart to be published in Kerrang!, dated July 10, 1982)
  27. ^ "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 632. January 18, 1997. p. 48. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Charts compiled by MRIB
  28. ^ "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 746. April 17, 1999. p. 49. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Charts compiled by MRIB
  29. ^ "BSkyB revives Top 40 show" (PDF). Music Week. October 17, 1992. p. 3. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  30. ^ Clark-Meads, Jeff (January 21, 1995). "New BBC Chart Boosts Acts But Disappoints Listings Network" (PDF). Billboard. p. 44. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  31. ^ "R1's artist chart disappoints BPI" (PDF). Music Week. January 14, 1995. p. 5. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  32. ^ "R1 opts for official artist chart" (PDF). Music Week. April 29, 1995. p. 3. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  33. ^ "New World". CMJ. November 5, 2001. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  34. ^ Billings, Claire (December 17, 2002). "Emap ditches Pepsi Chart for Smash Hits chart show". Campaign. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
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