ERG-onomics 101

In regard to EMI Records Group, North America, in Pop Eye’s annual record industry roundup (“Reassessing the Labels After a Record Year,” Jan. 16), there were obvious problems with your understanding of the structure of our company.

In April, Charles Koppelman was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of the newly formed EMI Records Group, North America. This combined EMI’s labels and operations from all across North America (which include Capitol Records; ERG--Chrysalis, SBK and EMI Records; Blue Note; Liberty, and others).

In your article, you seemed to imply that Koppelman was simply responsible for ERG and, as such, you didn’t even mention the label’s current president, Daniel Glass, who has been in charge for almost a year. You also included Liberty as a part of Capitol Records when, in fact, it is a free-standing label.

The point here is that by overseeing all of these North American operations, Koppelman is responsible for the direction of the entire company--not just a single label. Whatever successes these various businesses experience (as well as the “misses”) he is happy to share credit (and blame) with the individual presidents.

Given your lack of knowledge of the structure of our company, it is difficult to give credibility to some of your more pointed and acerbic personal remarks.

BOB BERNSTEIN

Hollywood

Bernstein is vice president, public relations/corporate communications, EMI Records Group, North America.