Cooper says WCM not for sale

NOT FOR SALE…YET: During a call with bondholders to discuss Warner Music’s full-year earnings yesterday, CEO Stephen Cooper cooled speculation that the company was contemplating selling off Warner/Chappell, the Financial Times reports. “Both the recorded music side as well as the publishing side are both viewed as integral parts of this business,” Cooper said: “In fact, my view is that, as we move along, that the working relationships between the recorded music side of the business and the publishing side of the business will get stronger.” The CEO refused to speculate on whether Warner would be able to pick up any EMI assets from regulatory reviews of the deal on both sides of the Atlantic. “At this stage of the game, it would be somewhere between pointless and reckless to speculate on whether or not there is going to be any fallout that would be of interest to Warner,” he said. Cooper also insisted that WMG has a strong independent future even after losing out in the auction for EMI. (12/9a)