Indies' chief in attack on majors.

Aim chief executive Alison Wenham accused the major groups of failing to respect the independents' views by rejecting an attempt by indies to secure a seat on the IFPI board.

Wenham told the Aim AGM that, after several months' discussion, the IFPI had decided to refuse European independent trade body Impala a seat on the board of the IFPI.

"The majors do not want us to sit at their table as representatives of this sector," she said, accusing them of being sour because of the indies' refusal to support mergers without remedies. "What are they frightened of? Has it not occurred to the majors that the world has changed?

"We would like our voice to be respected and heard. But we have become the enemy outside the gates. Refusing to give the indies a proper say in the business simply blocks progress towards a more democratic approach to a business in which we are all stakeholders."

Wenham had earlier highlighted her concerns for the industry, which she described as "chronically skewed by the power bought by the highest market shares".

In the past year, she said, Aim had added 222 new member companies, reflecting an explosion in the number of new companies that comes at a time when there is a huge gap in market share size between even the largest independents and the smallest major.

"Fifteen to 20 years ago, the market was made up of many companies of significant size, with an impressive complement of ...