shake it up

Jason Flom is considered the best A&R around by many...though I suppose that means the best by major standards.

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Shake-Up Reported at Warner Music
By JEFF LEEDS

The chairman and chief executive of Warner Music Group's Atlantic Records label has resigned under pressure, executives close to the company said last night, an indication of internal discord three months after the company's initial public offering.

The executives said the chairman, Jason Flom, who took the post in March 2004, was forced out after a string of clashes with Warner Music's domestic chief, Lyor Cohen.

Warner Music is expected to promote Craig Kallman, Atlantic's co-chairman and chief operating officer, to Mr. Flom's post.

Mr. Flom was part of the management team named after private investors - led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. and the private equity firm, Thomas H. Lee Partners - bought Warner Music from Time Warner for $2.6 billion. As part of the restructuring, Atlantic was merged with another label, Elektra, resulting in layoffs and deep cuts to the combined artist roster.

The shake-up comes as Atlantic had been trying to re-assert itself after a lengthy cold streak on the charts. Atlantic is expected to corral the No. 1 spot on the national album sales chart today with a release from Staind, a rock band initially signed by Elektra. Another band, the Click Five, signed to Mr. Flom's start-up label, Lava, had the most popular song on Apple's iTunes service as of yesterday.

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Flom also is credited with an exceptional A&R track record and decades-long string of multi-platinum albums from artists such as Sugar Ray, Kid Rock, Tori Amos, Simple Plan, Skid Row, Twisted Sister, Matchbox Twenty and The Corrs.