Thumbs up for EMI

THUMBS UP FOR EMI: Manager Tim Clark has thrown his weight behind EMI, telling MusicWeek that the label won’t be overlooked when his client Robbie Williams starts shopping around for a new contract. “We are not discounting a new deal with EMI, and we will be looking at them in the same way we will every other record company,” he said, adding that Citi’s takeover of EMI has put the music group in a better position in the market. “EMI is in a fantastic position right now. All of the debt has now disappeared, they are making a profit and there is now a real hope for the company.” Clark also said that splitting up the company “would just be ridiculous. I fully agree with Faxon when he said the future of EMI lies in keeping it as a global rights company. It doesn’t make any sense in this day and age for it to operate any other way, and I just hope that Citi can understand this vision and support it.” (2/4a)