BEAT IT

Jackson’s recent acquisition of ATV Music (last Sunday’s Calendar cover article) was less than a thriller for 60 of the company’s employees in London, Sydney, Los Angeles, Nashville and Toronto. They were pink-slipped, some on only two days notice, according to ATV sources. They’re getting 2- to 14-weeks’ severance pay, the sources said.

ATV staffers in L.A. were told that Jackson’s administrators would “discuss the changes” in their employment but “they just came in and got all our stereo equipment,” said Jinny Doonan, former ATV royalty administrator here.

A Jackson associate estimated that CBS Songs in New York, which is going to administer the ATV song catalogue, will permanently hire about 30 persons for the job, five to 10 of them ex-ATV staffers, with the possibility of another 20 former ATVers being taken on temporarily.