Musical Chairs: February 23
AUSTRALIA’S KIM FRANKIEWICZ HEADS CONCORD GLOBAL A&R TEAM
Australian-born Kim Frankiewicz will lead Concord Music’s new global A&R team. Her new title is Executive Vice President of Worldwide Creative.
She continues to be based in London, where she lived during her previous role as Managing Director for Imagem Music UK. Last year, Concord acquired Imagem Music Group.
Kim Frankiewicz started out in Sydney with INXS manager Chris Murphy’s rooArt label and MMA Publishing (where she was Managing Director), before moving in 1997 to New York to work at Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) as VP of International.
She later transferred to UMG’s London operations in 2000.
In 2012, Frankiewicz joined Imagem as Managing Director, signing and resigning artists and writers including Daft Punk, Kaiser Chiefs, Mark Ronson, Cathy Dennis and Justin Parker and struck administration deals such as with Pink Floyd Music Publishing.
Frankiewicz said: “We pooled a wondrous amount of talent when Imagem Music Group, Bicycle Music Company, and Razor & Tie Publishing joined forces.
“As a result, we’ve now merged the best in the industry and have a truly outstanding international A&R team.”
The team consists of Harri Davies and Ed Poston (UK), Leo Chantzaras (Berlin) and Jeremy Yohai (New York).
CLIVE THOMAS NEW CHAIR OF GOLDEN STAVE
Clive Thomas has been named Chair of the Australian music industry’s charity Golden Stave.
He replaces Graham Fear who passed a few days before Christmas Day after a long illness.
Golden Stave stated: “Graham was an absolute gentleman with a very generous nature and gave his time and resources to many and many different causes.
“Graham was the ultimate quiet achiever but sought to use his network and support base to gain maximum value for his charitable causes.”
DOUBLE A&R HEADS FOR ATLANTIC UK
Atlantic Records UK promoted Briony Turner and Alec Boateng to co-heads of A&R after their series of successes.
Turner worked with Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit, Plan B and Rae Morris as well as developing artists suchas Tayà and Dan Caplen.
Boateng, also a broadcaster and who uses the stage name Twin B, was instrumental in the signing of Stormzy to the major imprint and worked on Rita Ora’s latest music.
AMAZON MUSIC HIRES GLOBAL HEAD, ORIGINALS, ARTIST RELATIONS
Amazon Music hired Dan McCarroll as Global Head of Originals and Artist Relations.
His role is to work with his teams alongside artists, managers and labels to create ways to “elevate” new and catalogue releases through original programming.
He was previously President and Head of A&R for Warner Bros. Records, as well as President of Capitol Records where he worked on projects by Elton John, Katy Perry, Capital Cities and Ryan Adams.
GENEVIEVE JACOBS CANBERRA FESTIVAL BOARD
One time ABC Radio Canberra announcer Genevieve Jacobs has joined the board of the Canberra International Music Festival (April 27—May 6).
Jacobs left the broadcaster last December, and also has a role at Sydney-based cultural company, Renaissance Tours.
TROY ELLIS SECURES ON-AIR ROLE WITH NOVA
Troy Ellis, Melbourne media identity for the past 25 years, is joining Nova Entertainment for an on-air floater role at Nova and smoothfm.
He was most recently helming the breakfast shift at Gold FM. He did FOX breakfast for 12 years and joined ARN in December 2014.
RYMER LEAVES TRIPLE M BRISBANE
Triple M Brisbane’s Content Director David Rymer is taking time off to get his health in order. He told the station he would stay until a replacement was found.
NEW NAME FOR THE OZ’S MUSIC COLUMN
After The Australian decided to rest the Spin Doctor name of its weekly entertainment and music column after the passing of Iain Shedden.His Brisbane-based replacement Andrew McMillen has called his column Middle Eight.
NEW EDITOR FOR AD NEWS
Pippa Chambers is announced as new Editor of AdNews, after serving as its digital head for the past three years. Her predecessor Rosie Baker now heads PR and Marketing at GroupM.
In other changes at AdNews, Senior Journalist Arvind Hickman becomes News Editor and Lindsay Bennett becomes OnlineEditor.
MORE DEPARTURES AT SONY GERMANY
Sony Music Germany has parted with another senior executive, this time SVP of International Stefan Goebel, who leaves after 19 years.
Last month, two Germany-based Sony execs left after long stints: Philip Ginthör, CEO of Germany, Switzerland and Austria; and President, Continental Europe and Africa, Daniel Lieberberg.
ANOTHER SPOTIFY EXEC LEAVES
Spotify is seemingly clearing the decks before its long-awaited public offering, with Music Business Worldwide reporting that LA-based Head of Original Content Licensing Pat Shah leaving the building and heading for a music role in a digital platform.
Shah joined Spotify in November 2015 from Universal Music Group, where he was VP of Business Development, working in the major’s digital licensing team.
MBW noted that recent high-level departures included Kevin Brown (Head of UK/International Artist & Label Services), Stefan Blom (Chief Content Officer), Rob Harvey (Head Of US Label Relations) and Tom Calderone (Head Of Video).
COMIC TANYA HENNESSY LANDS WEEKEND RADIO GIG
Comedian Tanya Hennessy is going to be busy on the weekends, named the host of the national Weekend Breakfast at the Hit network.
She is on air each Saturday and Sunday morning from 7am to 9am, with a regular rotation of guest co-hosts.
Hennessy has been on Hit for six years, most recently part of Canberra’s Hit104.7 weekday Breakfast show and Saturday breakfast on 2DayFM Sydney.
NEW ADDITION TO PBS FM
Milo Eastwood joins Sista Zai Zanda as co-host for PBS 106.7 Melbourne’s morning show The Breakfast Spread. He was previously a volunteer at SYN FM.
CAROLINE SINGLETON RETIRES
After 14 years in different roles at the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre in Tamworth, first in its coffee shop and the most recent as GM, Caroline Singleton has begun her retirement.
She’s handed over the giant guitar strings to Belinda Hamilton.
PODCASTS MERGE
The merger last week of former ABC Development ProducerCourtney Carthy’s six-month-old Melbourne-based podcast Nearly and podcasting agency Placard Media now sees co-founder Carthy become Placard’s Chief Creative Officer.
MEL COMFORD MANAGING EDITOR OF TEN DAILY
Mel Cornford is the Managing Editor of Ten’s upcoming mobile optimised Ten Daily which covers entertainment as well as premium lifestyle, opinion news and sport in short video content.
Lisa Wilkinson is already announced as the site’s Executive Editor.
CNET AUSTRALIA GETS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
CBS Interactive Australia hired award-winning Sydney journalist Mark Serrels as News Editorial Director for tech site CNET.
Serrels, most recently manager of the Australian editions of Gizmodo, Lifehacker and Kotaku will source Australian tech stories for CNET’s global audience.