IB tease on who wants what piece of EMI

I.B. PREVIEW: Addressing the question of who’s eyeing what in the EMI auction, I.B. Bad points out that all three majors believe they can absorb recorded music. As for publishing, the sheer size of UMG’s pubco precludes the company from making a deal for EMI Music Publishing, with its 1.3 million-song catalog, while Sony Corp.-owned Sony/ATV appears to be in a good position to add EMI’s publishing assets, possibly in partnership with Ron Perelman, who would get records. This scenario would put the Michael Jackson estate, which owns half of Sony/ATV, into the thick of the publishing business. Another reported bidder is Apollo Global Management, which is being separately consulted by Jeff Kwatinetz and Charles Koppelman. I.B.’s latest column will appear on Friday morning. (8/11a)