Musical Chairs: March 16

BABYFACE LAUNCHES GOOD VIBES

Millionaire rap entrepreneur Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds launched publishing company, Good Vibes Music, alongside Black Box Music president Jason Murray.

Babyface has proven his worth as great ears for new talent. As co-founder of LaFace Records with L.A. Reid in 1989, he discovered TLC, OutKast, Usher, and Toni Braxton.

The 11x Grammy winner also wrote and produced hits for Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Ty Dolla $ign and Ariana Grande.

“I believe that all over the world there are incredible songwriters and producers that have never been discovered,” he says.

“There has likely been many over the years that we’ve missed out on, that were even better than the top songwriters and producers we cherish today, we just weren’t able to see them – weren’t able to hear them. That’s what I’m most excited about.

To that end, the new publishing company has also aligned to Spotify’s Secret Genius five day camps for songwriters and producers held in Spotify studios in in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville and London through the year.

Good Vibes’ workshops are known as Discovery Song Camp during which selected participants will work with Babyface and a team of mentors picked by him.

SCA APPOINTS NEW GMS FOR QUEENSLAND

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA)’s new management structure for Queensland sees Tim Davenport, previously GM for Queensland, now general manager for Southern Queensland.

Ken Wood, former GM of North Queensland and Northern Territory, has a new title of general manager of Northern Queensland.

Davenport will oversee Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough,

Wood will be responsible for Cairns, Mackay, Townsville, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Gladstone, Toowoomba, Emerald, Mt Isa as well as the Northern Territory.

Both appointments are immediate, Davenport and Wood report to Rick Lenarcic, head of regional media for SCA.

Lenarcic  explained the charge, “With 27 radio stations and TV stations broadcasting the channel Nine signal across the breadth of regional Queensland, SCA continues to focus its revenue opportunities by ensuring our clients can reach their target audiences via our media assets.”

NEW CONTENT DIRECTOR FOR PODCAST ONE

Southern Cross Austereo hired Jennifer Goggin as content director for PodcastOne Australia, effective March 26.

A radio, documentary and podcast producer Goggin was previously a podcast producer with the BBC.

Reporting to Grant Tothill, head of PodcastOne Australia she replaces Jaime Chaux who is leaving SCA to become head of digital at Commercial Radio Australia.

Her full duties include managing the PodcastOne US and Australian content slate, overseeing the team of podcast producers, managing the PodcastOne digital social lead to create compelling social and digital content to deliver audience reach and engagement via digital platforms, supporting monetisation of the content and managing the relationship between PodcastOne Australia and PodcastOne US content teams.

WA STATE MANAGER FOR VENUE COMPANY

As the Melbourne-based Australian Venue Co this week acquired its fourth venue in Western Australia, it has moved Joe Bailey, its divisional area manager of Melbourne CBD venues, moving to the newly created role of WA state manager.

The move precedes plans to acquire more properties in WA, after buys in Queensland and Northern Territory.

The plan is to buy up to 15 venues within two years.

Australian Venue Co’s latest WA purchase was Sweetwater Rooftop in Perth earlier this week.

It’s also bought The Aviary, The Guildford Hotel and Wolf Lane in Perth.

NEW HEAD FOR BMG’S BENELUX OPERATIONS

BMG appointed Albert Slendebroek to run BMG Talpa Music. the company’s Benelux repertoire operation which it bought four years ago.

He was previously GM of Amsterdam dance label Armada Music and CEO of digital distribution technology company FUGA.

Slendebroek’s stints includedd MD of Chrysalis Records Germany and MD at PolyGram’s Metronome label, during which time Ace Of Base was sgined for outside the US.

In 1996, he moved to Warner Music where he spent eight years as managing director of their Benelux operation before becoming CEO of tech start-up FUGA.

GFK APPOINTS NEW MD FOR ANZ’’

Data research company GfK appointed Dr Morten Boyer as its new managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

The role was previously held by Catherine Eddy for three years.

Dr Boyer, who joined the firm in 2006 and initiated some client services and partnerships in both territories,  will continue his role as GfK’s head of digital media management for the APAC region.

FBR/ ROADRUNNER PROMOTE THREE

Warner Music Group imprints Fueled By Ramen (FBR) and Roadrunner Records have promoted three long-standing marketing executives.

Chris Brown is now senior vice president for marketing, Suzi Akyuz vice president of marketing, for Roadrunner and FBR, and Katie Baloian VP of marketing for FBR.

They’ll continue to undertake marketing for some Atlantic acts.

NEW CEO FOR VICE MEDIA

Nancy Dubuc, former head of America’s A+E Networks, is named CEO of Vice Media, as, Shane Smith moves up to executive chairman.

She steps in to steady the boat after two top executives were dismissed for allegations of sexual harassment and pay inequity,

LEHMO GAINS ABC SHOW

After being dumped by Australian Radio Network as co-host of Melbourne Gold FM’s breakfast show, Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann has found a new gig at the ABC.

He is the new host of ABC Radio’s weekend AFL programs, taking over from Gerard Whateley, who moved to sports radio 1116 SEN.

Lehmann also does guest spots on Triple M shows and is co-hosting Fox Footy’s new quiz show; The Beep Test.

ROUGE CATCHES WAVE

After two years at HOT 100 Darwin, Tiffany Rouge joins Wave FM Wollongong in April, as on-air day time presenter and head of its social media platforms.

CHANGES AT TSO

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, which has worked with a number of rock musicians, is losing its managing director Nicholas Heyward of seven years at the end of the year when his contract finishes.