Musical Chairs: October 6

WARNER MUSIC GROUP MAKES CHANGES AT LABEL, BOARD

Warner Music Group’s new CEO of recorded music, Max Lousada, wasted no time in making changes to executives.

A day after he took over on October 2, a new leadership was announced for Warner Bros. Records.

Aaron Bay-Schuck, President of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M is named co-Chairman and CEO.

Additionally, Tom Corson, president/COO at RCA Records, is named co-chairman and COO.

Chairman/CEO Cameron Strang, who came from WMG’s publishing arm Warner/Chappell Music in 2012, is leaving the company at the end of the year.

“Cameron has guided WBR through a period of unprecedented change and has added to the label’s remarkable musical legacy,” Lousada said in a statement.

“He will leave with our utmost respect and we wish him all the best.”

In a resultant reshuffle at the WMG board which sees Strang exiting, Lousada, joins, as does Jon Platt, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music since May 2016.

WMG also announced the appointment of Ian Monsod as Managing Director of Warner Music Philippines.

The one-time rock bassist was President and CEO of Manila-based peer-to-peer online lending platform Fintechnology.

OSHER GUNSBERG LEAVING HIT BRISBANE

Osher Gunsberg announced on airthis morning – in song – that he was farewelling Hit105 Brisbane after two years, largely due to his commitments with the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchise on the Ten Network, which adds the Bachelor In Paradisespinoff next year.

DAVID ATKINS NEW AD AT HELPMANN AWARDS

Highly respected live event director and producer David Atkins OAM is new Artistic Director for the Helpmann Awards 2018-2020.

Atkins made his name specifically for overseeing the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening and Closing ceremonies and currently AD for White Night Melbourne and White Night Ballarat.

Will Sheehan moves up from the awards’ Associate Producer to Executive Producer and Dawn Martin is Production Director.

SAM THOMPSON EXITS ARN MELBOURNE

Sam Thompson, Content Director for Australian Radio Network’s two Melbourne stations GOLD 104.3 and KIIS 101 for the past 2½ years has exited the company.

The network’s Content Director, Duncan Campbell, praised her leadership and work ethic, adding, “Sam has decided to have a well-earned break and focus on a career change after spending her whole working life in radio.

“We wish her nothing but the best for the next stage of her career.”

PANDORA’S ADAM PARNESS JUMPS TO SPOTIFY

With Spotify facing legal shadow from the likes of Neil Young, Michael McDonald and The Black Keys over alleged underpaid mechanical royalties, the streaming company has moved to mend bridges with songwriters.

It has announced former Pandora executive Adam Parness as its new Global Head of Publisher Licensing, based in New York from October 30.

Parness spenta year at Pandora as its Head of Publisher Licensing and Relations and before that Principal Content Acquisition Manager at Amazon and VP of Music Licensing at Rhapsody during which he was a key player in its acquisition of Napster.

RUTHVEN OFF FOR SPORTING LIFE

Bryce Ruthven, who at WSFM Sydney was Studio Manager at Jonesy & Amanda’s breakfast show and announcer on The Edge 96One is relocating to regional Victoria.

“I’m on the move to TR FM in Gippsland to take up an on air role plus pursue my passion in sports broadcasting,” he said in an email.

SBS GETS NEW COMMISSIONING EDITOR FOR ENTERTAINMENT

Josh Martin is new Commissioning Editor for entertainment and food at SBS within its television and online content division.

He joins on October 9 from Essential Media where he was Executive Producer, overseeing its food and lifestyle content.

He’ll be part of the unscripted team, which produces documentaries, factual entertainment, entertainment and food programs.

CAPITOL WIDENS SYNC LICENSING AND BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

Capitol Music Group is expanding the activities of its brand partnerships and sync licensing division seventeenfift to include maximising streaming revenue and break more new artists.

The job has gone to Brian Nolan as its new SVP, based in Hollywood.

Nolan made his mark at his previous gig at Columbia Records as VP of International Marketing, successfully turning David Bowie’s Black Star album into a 2 million global seller which reached #1 in 24 countries, and sports syncs for songs by Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and Pharrell Williams.

EXECUTIVE ADDITION AT SCA

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) announced its Head of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Communications for the past two years, Creina Chapman, has joined the radio network’s leadership group.

NEW GM AT THEATRE WORKS

Dianne Toulson began this week as GM of Melbourne’s Theatre Works.

Its Artistic Director, John Sheedy said, “Dianne brings extensive skill in theatre management and touring as well as a deep understanding of Melbourne’s independent arts scene.”

Toulson, one time GM of Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, was more recently at Ararat Rural City Council.

MUSIC THERAPY CENTRE APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR

With plans to expand across New Zealand, Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre has appointed as Clinical and Centre Director, Jen Ryckaert.

She came from Georgia, USA, where she gained a Masters of Music Therapy to join the Centre in 2015 as Clinical Development Manager and Registered Music Therapist, using music to assist with the growth and development of people with emotional, intellectual, physical or social needs.

BEN PELLOW JOINS SEVENTH STREET

Ben Pellow is new Commercial Director at Luke Girgis’ Seventh Street Media, which launched in January with titles including Tone Deaf and The Brag.

Pellow was previously at HT&E, where he worked across both ARN and Conversant Media.

BUSNIAK MOVES NORTH

Jerimiah Busniak, Creative Producer at SCA Melbourne’s Fifi, Fev & Byron show is heading to Brisbane in the new role

of a Hit Network Image Producer role, doing station imaging for Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

NEW ANZ FACEBOOK HIRE

Kaylie Smith has moved to Singapore to take over as Head of SMB at Facebook Australia and New Zealand, helping small to medium businesses expand their use of the social media platform.

She left her last role, as Sydney-based MD of ad tech business AppNexus in July.

NEW EDITOR FOR TV WEEK

In the wake of the departure of Emma Nolan to helm Who magazine, Bauer Media upped Deputy Editor Thomas Woodgate to Editor of TV Week.

Woodgate joined the title three years ago and took over the deputy position 18 months ago.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR MELBOURNE ART FOUNDATION

The Melbourne Art Foundation has added two new faces to its board.

Wemba-Wemba and Gunditjmara womanPaola Ballafounded the Indigenous Arts and Cultural Program at Footscray Community Arts Centre, and the Wominjeka Festival in 2010.

Anna Schwartz has owned and operated a gallery for the past 35 years.

SBS MARKETING HEAD DEPARTS

Amanda McGregor, Head of Marketing at SBS, is departing after three years.

During her tenure, she proved herself with some creative marketing campaigns that widened its demographic and reshaped its image to a sharper and modern one.

These included Australia’s entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, new technology and data projects, and FU2RACISM to coincide with Face Up To Racism Week.

NBC UNIVERSAL RESTRUCTURES ANZ MANAGEMENT

NBC Universal has restructured its Australian and New Zealand management structure, telling Mumbrella it is “strategically rebalancing resources to enable our team to optimise focus and best position us for on-going growth.”

New hires will be made, but Mumbrella reported the exit of Marketing Director Jo McAlister, and pink slips at Bravo New Zealand – the jv between MediaWorks NZ and NBC, and the role of the Advertising Sales Director.

MTV REBOOTS TRL

MTV’s rebooted Total Request Live music video show came back on air earlier this week as a daily series, with Migos as their first guest.

D.C. Young Fly is host, with the team including Tamara Dhia, Amy Pham, Erik Zachary, Lawrence Jackson and content creators such as Liza Koshy and The Dolan Twins.