PolyGram Regional Chiefs Ponder Universal Offers

Key members of PolyGram's worldwide management team are being pressed by Universal Music to commit this week to accepting posts at the merged company and to sign new contracts accordingly. They include the three presidents of PolyGram's Continental Europe, Latin America, and Far East regions, who are, respectively, Rick Dobbis, Manolo Diaz, and Norman Cheng. "It's naturally time," says an executive close to the situation, of Universal's need to firm up those specific posts. Another source claims that two of the "three wise men" are almost certain to commit but that Dobbis' decision is too close to call. He is said to be mulling a competitor's offer.

Meanwhile, Universal is confident it can retain the heads of PolyGram operating companies in major European territories, where there has been speculation about such executives as Wolf-D. Gramatke (Germany), John Kennedy (the U.K.), and Stefano Senardi (Italy).

Universal Music International president Jorgen Larsen is back at his London HQ this week, following a round of visits to UMI and PolyGram companies worldwide. Accompanying him was Universal Music Group president Zach Horowitz and Universal Studios executive VP/CFO Bruce Hack.

-Adam White, London


RIAA Seeks To Stop Sale Of Portable MP3 Player

The RIAA has filed in Federal District Court for preliminary and permanent injunctions against San Jose, Calif.-based Diamond Multimedia systems in an effort to prevent the company from selling its portable MP3 player, the Rio (Billboard, Sept. 19). The device, which is capable of playing authorized and unauthorized music files posted on the Internet, is slated to be sold online and through retailers such as Best Buy and Electronics Boutique in the first week of November.

Ken Wirt, VP of corporate marketing for Diamond, said in a conference call that the company is going ahead with its efforts to sell the Rio. "[The RIAA] is really trying to maintain control of music distribution and prevent artists who don't have recording contracts from getting broad distribution of their music," he says.

However, RIAA president/CEO Hilary Rosen tells Bulletin, "This is not just the music industry trying to preserve the status quo of music distribution. This has a much bigger impact on online distribution and for many different kinds of companies."

A hearing on the case is set for Friday in L.A.

-Doug Reece, L.A.



Radio 1 Focusing On New Music, Women

Flagship BBC national top-40 station Radio 1 has revamped its playlist policy to help break new acts and increase its female audience. The station