BANDIER: MATT FURMAN/REDUX. BRANCA: MICHAEL KOVAC/WIREIMAGE. SWIFT: JOSIAH KAMAU/BUZZFOTO/GETTY IMAGES. T.I.: JESSE GRANT/GETTY IMAGES. SCHREIBER: STEPHEN LOVEKIN/GETTY IMAGES ownership guard? publisher survive achanging the of thecountry’s head of topmusic Bandier to veteran chairman/CEO —alleyes turned additional parties upthebiddingto other oropen estate, is obligated tobuyoutthe andthe Corp. /ATV’s twojoint owners, Publishing—inwhich oneof a buy/sell forSony/ATV process 8thecompany hadinitiated on Oct. CEO SUCCESSION QUESTIONS ARISE WHEN MARTIN BANDIER AND CO-OWNED BY THE BY MICHAEL ESTATE, THE CO-OWNED AND MARTIN BANDIER W Michael Lynton DESPITE RECORD EARNINGS, THE PUBLISHING GIANT, RUN BY GIANT, RUN PUBLISHING THE RECORD EARNINGS, DESPITE AS SONY/ATV SALE, MULLS . Would the74-year-old COULD BE CHANGING HANDS. WHAT NEXT? HANDS. HAPPENS COULD CHANGING BE Michael Jackson announced announced Martin

which has anestimated of value lucrative publishingbusiness, its wanttosell would Sony declined commentforthisarticle.) and Bandier inparticular. (Bandier MusicSony executives ingeneral displayed attitude prima-donna by asa what insiders describe and Lynton’s weariness with pushing foranextension) Marchof andhe’s 2016 his dealisupat theend for Bandier (sources say new contract negotiation against abackdrop that a includes us” —thebuy/sell takes place “our years best are stillaheadof staffs —with Bandier’s boasting reassuringsent memos totheir In fact, sources say sources In fact, one reason LyntonWhile both andBandier BY ED CHRISTMAN BY ED John Branca Taylor Swift $2 billion(its include songwriters executives during hisdecades generation toppublishing of the buy/sell.) of (Sony’s EMI isnotapart share of hisformeremployer.acquisition of engineer the helped and, in2012, EMIMusic Publishing the helmof publisher formore thanthree and Sheeran has ranked as Bandier hasmentored a Leiber &Stoller Bandier spent 18 yearsBandier 18 spent at job at Sony/ATV in2007, career40-year inpublishing. Bandier, his whohasspent plan inplacesuccession for years, there isno isbecause , Prior to taking the top totakingthetop Prior Lennon &McCartney , Billboard Lady Gaga ) and ) and ATV’s New York New ATV’s office at Sony/office ’s top top ’s headquarters. Bandier in his , Ed

OCTOBER 24, 2015 | WWW.BILLBOARD.COM | WWW.BILLBOARD.COM 2015 24, OCTOBER

American MusicAwardsAmerican noms, Taylor Swift mainstream as his company is mainstream is ashiscompany and EdSheeran bylandingsix CEO vote fortheleaderof free vote world to be a woman,” then awoman,”then be world to including artistoftheyear. Pitchfork Mediafounder/Pitchfork acquired byCondéNast. Rapper Rapper THE OVER UNDER quickly backtracks. Ryan Schreiber T.I. Topline tops TheWeeknd tops sayshe“can’t joins the joinsthe 27