Media Research Information Bureau

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. MRIB also compiled other genre charts for the United Kingdom.[1]

History

Foundation

MRIB was founded in 1981,[2] by Luke Crampton,[3] and Dafydd Rees.[4][5]

The Network Chart
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).[6][7] 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).[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] MRIB's Network Chart was published in music publications NME and Melody Maker as well as on ITV's Teletext service.[11]

Other charts

MRIB also compiled the UK Independent Singles and Albums Charts that were published in many newspapers and magazines such as Melody Maker.[12] In the 1980s MRIB compiled the disco charts for the UK that were published in Record Business (which was later absorbed into Music Week).[13] From 1982 through the 1990s the UK rock charts that were published in Kerrang! magazine were also compiled by MRIB.[14][15][16] 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.[17] From 1998 to 2001, MRIB also compiled the World Beat album chart show for CNN International.[3][18] 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.[19]

Demise

MRIB closed in 2008,[2] 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
  1. Parker, Martin (1991). "Reading the Charts - Making Sense with the Hit Parade". Popular Music. 10. Cambridge University Press. pp. 206–207. JSTOR 853061.
  2. "Media Research Information Bureau (M.R.I.B.) Limited". companysearchesmadesimple.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. Hay, Carla (May 9, 1998). "CNN Launching Weekly Music Series" (PDF). Billboard. p. 75. Retrieved June 7, 2020. Continued from page 1
  4. MTV Pop and Rock World Records 2011 Hardcover – 14 Oct. 2010. ASIN 1847326374.
  5. "Luke Crampton & Dafydd Rees". Taschen. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  6. 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
  7. "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
  8. Fielder, Hugh (March 2, 1991). "Big Audience Gains for 'Network Chart Show'" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 5. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  9. "M&M Publishes MRIB Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. March 16, 1991. p. 3. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  10. "Rock Over London" (PDF). Music & Media. June 13, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. Barrow, Tony; Newby, Julian (2003). Inside the Music Business. Routledge. p. 90. ISBN 9781134777181. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  12. "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
  13. "Disco Top 50" (PDF). Record Business. November 22, 1982. p. 10. Retrieved June 7, 2020. Compiled for Record Business by MRIB
  14. "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 20. July 15, 1982. Charts compiled by MRIB. (The first chart to be published in Kerrang!, dated July 10, 1982)
  15. "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 632. January 18, 1997. p. 48. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Charts compiled by MRIB
  16. "Charts". Kerrang!. No. 746. April 17, 1999. p. 49. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Charts compiled by MRIB
  17. Clark-Meads, Jeff (January 21, 1995). "New BBC Chart Boosts Acts But Disappoints Listings Network" (PDF). Billboard. p. 44. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  18. "New World". CMJ. November 5, 2001. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  19. Billings, Claire (December 17, 2002). "Emap ditches Pepsi Chart for Smash Hits chart show". Campaign. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
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