RUMOR MILL
Back to Rumor Mill >
Friday, January 12, 2001

BERTELSMANN MAY CUT
JIVE/ZOMBA LOOSE

Media Giant Hopes To Appease Regulators By Selling Off Assets, Sacrificing Goat
Is Bertelsmann AG selling off a key holding to appease regulators?

According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the media giant may sell its 20% share of Zomba Records to help secure BMG's proposed merger with EMI and create the world's largest music company.

The loss of Zomba (and its Jive roster, which includes Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Britney Spears) would greatly reduce BMG's market share. EMI, meanwhile, refuses to let go of Virgin Records. That reluctance may have halted EMI's proposed merger with Time Warner in October, and may hinder the current deal.

While BMG and EMI have agreed on main points, the biggest obstacle is approval from European regulators and the Federal Trade Commission.

 
BACK TO RUMOR MILL
 
HITS LIST: HORSEPOWER
VRRMMMM (5/20a)
Check It Out Now
HARD LAUNCH: EILISH GOES BIG AGAIN
"Lunch" and other tasty treats (5/20a)
Check It Out Now
OH, TANNENBAUM! ANOTHER GREAT CAREER HITS THE SKIDS
Another talented journalist trapped in the career cul de sac (5/20a)
Check It Out Now
NEAR TRUTHS: VARIANTS
Celebrity death match underway on album chart. (5/17a)
Check It Out Now
ON THE COVER:
HOZIER
Pour some sugar on us. (5/20a)
Check It Out Now
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
 Email

 First Name

 Last Name

 Company

 Country
CAPTCHA code
Captcha: (type the characters above)

By clicking submit you are agreeing
to Terms and Conditions