TICKET TO RIDE: Michael Jackson--and his close...

TICKET TO RIDE: Michael Jackson--and his close adviser, David Geffen--are on the move again. Although no one’s talking on the record, several inside sources say that Jackson/Geffen are in the process of finding a new home for Jackson’s mega-million ATV Music publishing company. The firm, which owns a wealth of valuable catalogues, most notably the Beatles’ hits, has been administered by EMI Music, one of the industry’s largest publishing firms. But Jackson and Geffen (who sold his record company to MCA Inc. earlier this year) are in negotiations with MCA Music, despite the fact that MCA has a much smaller worldwide publishing network. The deal could mean an additional $1 million annually in revenue for MCA--and a big boost in prestige. (Most music publishers get 15% to 20% of the profits in an administration deal, though MCA will get a considerably smaller percentage because of Jackson’s superstar status.) However, the news isn’t all bad for EMI. It may be losing the Gloved One, but it’s winning the battle to land Rod Stewart’s much-coveted publishing catalogue, which had been at Warner-Chappell Music.