More jobs to go at EMI May 14, 2008
Posted by Paul Birch in : Uncategorized , add a comment
DMWmedia.com news feed reports
London - U.K.-based major record label EMI, which under new owner, Guy Hands’ Terra Firma, has already announced 1,500 to 2,000 layoffs at its recorded music division, now plans to eliminate an additional up to 1,000 positions, bringing the company’s total headcount from around 4,500 to 2,000, The Telegraph reported, citing sources.
The first round of layoffs was announced back in January.
The planned second round, expected to come in waves throughout the year, was necessary, people familiar with the situation told The Telegraph, because “the business will stall have more employees generating less revenues than its competitors at Warner Music and Universal.”
Ben Harrington writes for the Telegraph
EMI’S owner, Guy Hands, is planning to axe up to 1,000 more jobs at the music company.
Mr Hands, who runs buyout firm Terra Firma, told senior EMI directors last week that the company’s headcount at its recorded music division will need to be reduced to around 2,000 people from 4,500, according to sources.
In January, EMI announced that it was planning to axe between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs at its recorded music division EMI Music. Several senior, highly paid executives in Britain have recently been made redundant.
They include Mike McMahon, senior vice-president of commercial and digital media. He will be replaced by Matthew Crosswaite, who was a vice-president in EMI’s digital division. Mr Crosswaite was yesterday formally appointed senior vice-president of sales, sources said.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand Unger-Hamilton, managing director of Virgin Records in Britain, is also understood to be leaving. He is said to have left the business last Friday.
People familiar with the situation said Mr Hands was looking to cut more jobs at the company because, even after the round of redundancies announced in January, the business will still have more employees generating less revenues than its competitors at Warner Music and Universal.
Insiders speculated that the next job cuts will come in waves throughout the year.
Terra Firma bought EMI for £3.2bn last year
Comment:
Seems like EMI’s desire to join the Independent sector is becoming a reality. Though with Ames gone is the rudder missing? Its all Hands to the deck then as less people are expected to do more. Its fine in SME’s, but corporate business expects experts in every field. Please don’t ask the Marketing people to get on the phone and sell – it’s not necessarily that they wouldn’t know how, its just not how corporations work.
As the bottom line is continually polished for improved performance, is anyone watching the top line as the rule of diminishing returns becomes ever increasingly significant?
Desperately in search now of dry land (terra firma), Hands continues to toss bodies off the ship in order to maintain ballast and stay afloat. But should the Admiral really be at the helm when he has no sailing experience and he’s already made a life raft out of his captains’ remains?
It is bad….it will get worse.
Peter Harris January 15, 2008
Posted by Paul Birch in : Uncategorized , add a commentKickin Records founder dies
12:27 | Wednesday January 9, 2008
Kickin Records founder and independent champion Peter Harris has died.Kickin Records founder dies 12:27 | Wednesday January 9, 2008 By Ben Cardew MUSIC WEEK
Kickin Records founder and independent champion Peter Harris has died. Harris passed away on Sunday January 6 after a long struggle with cancer. Harris founded the Kickin Records label, which pioneered early rave music, in 1988. It went on to release music from artists including The Scientist, Shut Up And Dance, and Messiah, as well as pioneering the careers of Grant Nelson, DJ Hype, Phil Asher, Matthew “Bushwhacka” B, Dominic B (Stanton Warriors) and Rennie Pilgrem. Kickin later became an umbrella company housing the Kickin Records, Slip ‘n’ Slide, Hardleaders, Stoned Asia and Slip ‘n’ Slide Blue labels, and also had a publishing arm in the form of Haripa Music Publishing in 1990.
Revolver Records owner Paul Birch, who worked with Harris on the BPI international committee, says that Harris had “a big brain but a bigger heart”. “He was big for independent cause and totally selfless, a strong advocate of moral issues,” he says. “He always fought the corner, not only for black music but for black executives. And he always had a very strong argument for more women in the industry.”
a7 Music managing director Seven Webster adds, “No music conference would be complete without the lifeblood of the industry, the happy independents like Peter. “I met Pete because as well as running my management company I once reviewed records for Teletext many years ago and as a result reviewed the first releases on Kickin Records. “From then on Peter would call me every Friday night and we would chew the fat about each other’s week and became the best of friends. While we both worked in our own separate space within the industry we really just maintained and shared a great and happy friendship and exchanged ideas, jokes and advice on a regular basis.” Harris is survived by his partner Cleon Roberts and three daughters, Jada, Yasheen and Neomi. The funeral will be held at All Saints Church, Clydesdale Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 1JE at 1030am on Saturday January 19. All friends are welcome. A bereavment gathering will also be held in Ladbroke Grove after the funeral service, with more details to follow.
