THE REVOLVING DOOR

Sony Music top man Doug Morris has inked a new two year deal to run the music major, according to the New York Post. And Sony/ATV chief Marty Bandier is also was set to extend his contract with the company.

Warner Music Group COO Rob Wiesenthal is leaving the major - and the music industry - to focus on a start-up called Blade, "the first crowdsourced short distance aviation company". Warner Music has announced that former exec Michael Nash is returning to the company, to replace Wiesenthal.

And The Chief Operating Officer of the BMG Group worldwide, John Dobinson, has exited the company. The news was confirmed by BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch.

Dorothy Hui has been appointed VP Digital Business at Sony Music UK, joining from Roc Nation. 

Proper Music Distribution has appointed Kameil Sattar, formerly with eMusic, to the role of Head Of Digital. 

Steven Melrose, formerly co-MD at Sony's Epic Records UK, has joined Crown Talent & Media Group as Head Of Music

David Pickard has been appointed director of the BBC Proms. Pickard is currently general director at Glyndebourne and will take up his new role later this year, reporting to Alan Davey, controller of BBC Radio 3. Edward Blakeman, director, BBC Proms 2015, will continue to lead the festival throughout this year’s season and ahead of Pickard’s arrival.

MusIc publisher Sony/ATV has announced the promotion of both Janice Brock and David Ventura to the newly-created positions of Joint Heads of A&R in the UK.

The Fender company has announced the appointment of a new CEO, Andy P Mooney, who joins the musical instrument firm from surf wear company Quiksilver.

Fran Nevrkla will step down as Chairman of the UK record industry's collecting society PPL at the end of the year. Nevrkla was CEO of the recorded music rights body until 2012 before becoming chair.


Universal Music Publishing has promoted Markus Wenzel, previously MD of its German unit, to be President of UMP Germany and SVP for UMP in Austria and Switzerland.

Jackie Alway, Universal Music Publishing’s VP International Legal and Industry Affairs, will become the UK Music Publishers Association’s new Chair, following elections by the MPA board. The publishers' trade group also announced the appointment of a new General Manager - Claire McAuley - who joins the organisation from ad agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, having previously also worked at Universal Music Publishing.

Music agents Peter Schwartz and James Rubin have left The Agency Group (TAG) to join William Morris Endeavor (WME), reports Variety.  Between them, the duo, who will be based at WME's New York office, represent acts including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, A$AP Ferg, Run The Jewels, Cypress Hill and Method Man.

Beyonce has moved her touring business from ICM Partners to CAA, The Hollywood Reporter says. She will remain with ICM for acting.

Rob Wells, who stepped down as Universal Music's President Of Global Digital Business in February, has re-emerged on the advisory board of Revelator, a Jerusalem-based sales and marketing data platform for independent music. Wells is also joined by EMI's former Senior Vice President Of Digital Strategy And Development, Tom Ryan.

Wixen Music UK's Managing Director, Beth Wijayarathna, has left the company. She joined Wixen in 2010 after spending three years at Nettwerk One.

Specialist rigging, automation and performer flying services group Rigging Team has appointed Claire Gilligan in the role of Operations Manager.

AEG’s ticketing company AXS is to merge with Veritix. The combined entity will partner the ticketing platform of AXS, including its AXS Invite and AXS Waiting Room, with Veritix’s season ticket management technology and digital, ID-based ticketing technology.

Former Sony Music UK CEO Nick Gatfield is back with "an investment, strategy and services provider for early stage artists and music entrepreneurs". The new business aims to be an angel-type investor for both new artist businesses and other music start-ups.

7digital has announced the promotion of its VP of Business Development James Priestley to the role of General Manager of the digital music provider's North American operations.

Jesse Norman MP

American magazine publisher Wenner Media has made a number of staffing cuts across its Rolling Stone, US Weekly and Men's Journal titles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Among the cuts, Rolling Stone's David Fricke has apparently been taken off contract and will now contribute on a freelance basis. 

Conservative MP Jesse Norman has been named the new chairman of Parliament's Culture, Media And Sport Select Committee, replacing John Whittingdale, who is now Culture Secretary.

Spotify has announced former Netflix exec Barry McCarthy as its new CFO. He will step down from the music streaming service's board, upon which he has sat since February 2014, to take up the hands-on role.