Friday, November 23, 2012

Sky magazine tax loophole saved broadcaster up to £40m a year

BSkyB HQ in west London. Accounts show most of the income from Sky magazine was recycled back to Sky TV. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian A magazine for satellite TV customers published by BSkyB was used as atax avoidance scheme that saved the company up to £40m a year. The broadcaster had been saving millions in VAT by charging satellite customers a nominal £2.20 a month for the Sky magazine, using a tax loophole...

Hollywood Reporter apologises for role in McCarthy-era blacklist

Hollywood Reporter founder Billy Wilkerson in 1939. Photograph: George Hurrell/AP US film industry magazine the Hollywood Reporter has apologised for its role in kickstarting the infamous 1947 blacklist that destroyed the careers of writers, actors and directors accused of being communist sympathisers. In its latest issue, the magazine features a column by Willie Wilkerson, son of founder Billy Wilkerson, admitting...

Britain's rarest record – yours for £200,000

The Quarry Men in 1957, with John Lennon in the centre. Photograph: PA Among the many John Lennon vocal performances captured on vinyl, the following may not be the most familiar: "Yeah, I'd like to say hi to all of you … The message is, you know – if you like it sell it, if you don't, try and sell it anyway cos we're all in the same business." Lennon's laconic pep talk can be heard on a 7in single recorded for EMI salesmen in 1974 to encourage...

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Confession: I Am Over Black Nail Polish. Are You?

Forget the bags, the shoes. For the nail polish obsessed, the best accessory for fall is lacquer. So what shades generated the most buzz at fashion week? Think deep, dark variations of red and navy offset by cool tones of minimalist white and beige. The bigger moments of drama belonged to pop-art effects...