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Published on October 12, 2007

That's what Radiohead have done. The pioneers of the Brit Rock sound are offering their entire seventh studio album "In Rainbows" for anything from zero to £100 (Bt7,000).

It should have been available on Wednesday but when I last looked yesterday at their website, I still couldn't download the songs for whatever voters have decided the songs will be worth.

Yes, it is a gimmick. You can get the actual album too for 40 quid, which comes with original artwork, a vinyl record and enhanced CD - all in a beautifully designed "discbox".

No, the band is not ringing the death knell of the record industry, as pundits and fanatics would like everyone to believe. But it is mind-boggling - in the sense that any record label exec would slit his wrists with a broken CD disc - to see a large and, still now, major source of revenue digitally evaporate in front of their eyes.

But the buzz from the publicity stunt has helped the band secure a record deal from a big label, as their two managers revealed on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme. Yes, it's THE "Today" programme, where John Humphrys quizzes prime ministers and statesmen over everything from government policy to alleged corruption.

"Hopefully it will motivate artists and record labels to think about things a lot more and not accept the status quo," said Chris Hutton,

one-half of the management team.

 And I think this applies to media content across the spectrum - old and new, hot and cold. If you want customers, you'd better offer something that thrills and excites them - something that others don't do.

 Sounds easy. But as Bob Gill, graphic design's elder statesman and forerunner of Pentagram, would testify, in this media saturated world, his posters are competing with the latest instalment of Alien movies too.

 To all media practitioners out there: content remains king in this digital age.

 As CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves recently said to an audience at Mipcom in Cannes: "Wireless is useless if you're hitless."

kinan@nationgroup.com