Listen: Corrie publicity manager radio interview with Pete Price

Coronation Street's publicity manager Alison Sinclair was interviewed by Pete Price on the radio last night.

It's a good interview in which Alison talks about how the Corrie publicity machinery works, how she got into working on Corrie from being a journalist.  She applied for a job in Granada looking after regional and factual programmes and then moved onto the cobbles. Alison's dad was Roger Blyth, who some people might know as a Granada Reports presenter, and is as Alison says "a bit of a Granada legend". Alison's dad, she says, taught her how to break the news, make the news and how to cope with a crisis.

She talks about what the Coronation Street publicity team do to promote the show, promote the storylines and promote the positives about the show too.  And of course she touches on when things go wrong, and how the best bad stories are the ones that never make the press

Unfortunately, the interview abruptly ends after five minutes of audio boo time, which is a real shame as I could have gone on listening to Alison speak.

Listen to ‘Alison Sinclair talks to Pete Price about Coronation Street’ on Audioboo

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Corrie cast to suffer pay cut

It looks like the recession is hitting ITV as The Sun reports today that Coronation Street cast are getting a pay cut.

The Sun says the Corrie cast received letters just before Christmas saying the Saturday soap omnibus would be moved from ITV1 to ITV2 as of this weekend. 

Corrie cast members are currently paid a repeat fee, which is 37.5 per cent of their episode pay, for appearances in the omnibus. But with the show moving to digital channel, actors would be forced to share a small royalty fee instead.

Last night the cast members and representatives from their union Equity held talks with ITV accountants.

Coronation Street spokeswoman Alison Sinclair confirmed discussions had begun. She told TV Biz: "We are in the process of talking to cast members whose pay may be affected by the ending of the omnibus repeat on ITV1. We expect to come to an arrangement in the next few weeks. In the meantime we have confirmed that we will continue with repeat fee payments."

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Coronation Street audiocast ends its run at ITV

It's the end of the line for Jeremy Kyle's Word on the Street audiocast on the official Corrie site. This week Jeremy speaks to Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) and Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor). You can listen to it here.

The best bit of the audiocasts, for this fan, has been the inside info from Alison Sinclair, Corrie's Chief Publicity Officer. This week she reveals why the Corrie set won't be reopened to the public and which character she'd personally like to see back on the cobbles. She also tells fans that Rita May, who plays Jack's new woman Connie, holds the record for the actress who's played the most characters on the show and hints at some explosive scenes when Carla Connor returns in the autumn.

But fear not, Corrie fans, because the Word on the Street Coronation Street podcast existed long before Jeremy Kyle's and will continue long after. Check out the Coronation Street podcast Word on the Street at the Soap Show website.

Steve and Becky's wedding number two

In Jeremy Kyle's latest audiocast on the official Corrie site he interviews Craig Gazey who plays firestarter, twisted firestarter, Graeme Proctor. Craig's best mates on set are the actors who plays Gary Windass and David Platt and he reveals that Craig is going to get brought down by David Platt's evil reign of terror.

But the best bit of these audiocasts, for this fan, are the snippets from Corrie's Chief Publicity Manager, Alison Sincliar. This week Alison reveals that Jason Grimshaw should watch out when David Platt finds out that Jason and Tina are an item. She explains a little about how the Corrie writing process works and says that Steve and Becky are going to get wed but that someone from Becky's past sets out to spoil it. Could it involve this?

Alison also urges fans to vote for Corrie in the British Soap Awards - there's still time to vote and the site is right here.

Ken Barlow sleeps with Martha

Ken Barlow is set to get Martha's barge a-rocking when he sleeps with her on the boat. By 'eck, what will Deirdre say?

More spoilers gleaned from the Jeremy Kyle audiocast on the official Corrie site are that Luke Strong is NOT Carla's brother (as has been rumoured online) and there's going to be rivalry between Norris Cole and his half-brother Ramsey Clegg - played by Andrew Sachs.

The spoilers came thick and fast in the audiocast from Alison Sinclair, Coronation Street's Chief Publicity Officer. Alison will be speaking to Jeremy Kyle each week on the audiocast and it'll be well worth tuning in to listen to if she's giving away inside gems like this to fans.