More Executives Move From Sony to Universal
Jan 24, 2011 18:18:20 GMT -5
Post by starr on Jan 24, 2011 18:18:20 GMT -5
mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/more-executives-move-from-sony-to-universal/
January 21, 2011
More Executives Move From Sony to Universal
By BEN SISARIO
A month after Universal Music Group hired away a top executive from Sony Music Entertainment, its chief rival, the company is making several changes in senior management positions and cutting about 60 lower-level jobs.
The moves begin what is expected to be a series of staffing changes in coming weeks that could reshape the lines of power at the world’s largest record company.
Universal has hired Larry Jackson, a former A&R (or artist and repertory) representative at Sony as executive vice president of Interscope Geffen A&M, a family of labels whose artists include U2, Eminem and Lady Gaga. Mr. Jackson, 30, who started his career in radio as a teenager in San Francisco, was hired by the music mogul Clive Davis of J Records in 2000, and he has since worked with Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears, among others.
In October Mr. Jackson left his position as executive vice president for A&R at Sony’s RCA Music Group after a falling-out with Barry Weiss, the RCA chief executive who last month was signed by Universal to a top job that has not been specified. Mr. Weiss is to start that job after his contract with Sony ends in April.
At Interscope, Mr. Jackson will work under Jimmy Iovine, Interscope’s chairman, who recently took on an additional public role as an in-house talent coach on Fox’s “American Idol.” Another top Universal manager, Ron Fair, who is associated with acts like Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls, is expected to leave his post as chairman of Geffen Records in coming months and move into a new position on “American Idol.” Last year that show signed a distribution deal with Universal, ending a long association with Sony.
And in one of Universal’s most closely watched staff changes, Antonio Reid, chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group — another cluster of labels, whose acts include Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Rihanna — has declined an offer to run a new boutique label for the company, according to several people with knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to speak.
Mr. Reid is said to have more than a year left on his contract with Island Def Jam, but it was unclear whether he would seek an early release.
On Jan. 1 Lucian Grainge became the chief executive of Universal Music Group, taking over from its longtime leader, Doug Morris. There has been wide speculation in the industry about whether Mr. Morris, now Universal’s chairman, would take over the top management job at Sony Music, but neither company would comment about those rumors. His current contract with Universal runs through the end of 2011.
In the midst of all its high-level executive changes, Universal is also trimming 60 administrative and technical jobs as part of broad cost-cutting measures.
“The current economic climate dictates that we continue to look for more efficient ways to run our business,” a Universal spokesman, Peter LoFrumento, said in a statement confirming the layoffs. “So we are taking steps to reduce costs while increasing our creative investment in a number of new areas and new businesses.”
January 21, 2011
More Executives Move From Sony to Universal
By BEN SISARIO
A month after Universal Music Group hired away a top executive from Sony Music Entertainment, its chief rival, the company is making several changes in senior management positions and cutting about 60 lower-level jobs.
The moves begin what is expected to be a series of staffing changes in coming weeks that could reshape the lines of power at the world’s largest record company.
Universal has hired Larry Jackson, a former A&R (or artist and repertory) representative at Sony as executive vice president of Interscope Geffen A&M, a family of labels whose artists include U2, Eminem and Lady Gaga. Mr. Jackson, 30, who started his career in radio as a teenager in San Francisco, was hired by the music mogul Clive Davis of J Records in 2000, and he has since worked with Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears, among others.
In October Mr. Jackson left his position as executive vice president for A&R at Sony’s RCA Music Group after a falling-out with Barry Weiss, the RCA chief executive who last month was signed by Universal to a top job that has not been specified. Mr. Weiss is to start that job after his contract with Sony ends in April.
At Interscope, Mr. Jackson will work under Jimmy Iovine, Interscope’s chairman, who recently took on an additional public role as an in-house talent coach on Fox’s “American Idol.” Another top Universal manager, Ron Fair, who is associated with acts like Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls, is expected to leave his post as chairman of Geffen Records in coming months and move into a new position on “American Idol.” Last year that show signed a distribution deal with Universal, ending a long association with Sony.
And in one of Universal’s most closely watched staff changes, Antonio Reid, chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group — another cluster of labels, whose acts include Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Rihanna — has declined an offer to run a new boutique label for the company, according to several people with knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to speak.
Mr. Reid is said to have more than a year left on his contract with Island Def Jam, but it was unclear whether he would seek an early release.
On Jan. 1 Lucian Grainge became the chief executive of Universal Music Group, taking over from its longtime leader, Doug Morris. There has been wide speculation in the industry about whether Mr. Morris, now Universal’s chairman, would take over the top management job at Sony Music, but neither company would comment about those rumors. His current contract with Universal runs through the end of 2011.
In the midst of all its high-level executive changes, Universal is also trimming 60 administrative and technical jobs as part of broad cost-cutting measures.
“The current economic climate dictates that we continue to look for more efficient ways to run our business,” a Universal spokesman, Peter LoFrumento, said in a statement confirming the layoffs. “So we are taking steps to reduce costs while increasing our creative investment in a number of new areas and new businesses.”
