Executive Turntable: BBC Radio 6 Names Head of Station, Peloton Appoints New Music Boss & More
#Music
Samantha Moy has been named head of station at BBC Radio 6 Music, effective August 17. Moy is one of four who have been named to new head of station roles at BBC’s pop music networks as of late, following the appointments of Aled Haydn Jones (Radio 1), Helen Thomas (Radio 2) and Ahmed Hussain (Asian Network). The search for head of station at Radio 1Xtra is ongoing.
Moy has been Radio 6’s head of content commissioning since 2018; she previously worked as network editor at the station.
Moy kicked off her career at London station Kiss 100, where she produced programs for Radio 1, Radio 2 and the BBC World Service with the production company Somethin’ Else. She later joined BBC Radio 1, where she produced programs including The Evening Session, Jo Whiley and the Live Lounge, The Chris Moyles Show and Greg James and Annie Mac. She also worked as an event producer at the BBC Electric Proms between 2008 and 2009.
Moy joined 6 Music and Radio as an executive producer, overseeing programs such as Steve Lamacq and Steve Wright in the Afternoon as well as projects including The Peel Lecture with Charlotte Church and the Sound of Style season in collaboration with BBC 4. Moy’s recent commissions include the Stay Home Rave Safe Saturday series, The Wu-Tang Clan Radio Show, Amazing Grace and the Independent Venue Week Tour. She additionally spearheads the station’s annual 6 Music Festival.
Peloton’s senior vp and head of music, Paul DeGooyer, is leaving the company after five years to focus on running his consultancy, of which Peloton will now be a client. DeGooyer will be replaced in the role by Peloton’s current vp, music partnerships Gwen Bethel Riley, whose promotion was effective July 6.
Riley has over 20 years of music industry experience, with an emphasis in emerging digital media platforms and gaming, music and content production, artist relations and business affairs. She joined Peloton last August from Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media, where she led the business on licensed and commissioned music content across all interactive and connected Disney platforms and sourced music and talent for games, consumer products, digital properties and interactive audio and live events. During her tenure there, she led or was a key part of launching music and gaming content on platforms including Xbox, Apple iOS and the Disney+ streaming service.
Earlier in her career, Riley helped launch music departments at startup and mini-major film studios, including Artisan Entertainment (now Lionsgate). She has worked on over 60 films and soundtracks, developed licensing practices and standards for independent film development, built in-house publishing catalogs and produced orchestral scoring sessions and live music events.
Artist Partner Group (APG) – an arm of Warner Music Group’s Atlantic Records – has hired Corey Calder as senior vp, marketing & brands while promoting three within its ranks: Edgar Machuca to vp, A&R, artist publishing/Artist Partner Group & Warner Music Group; Olly Sheppard to vp, film & television synchronization, artist publishing; and Devon Libran to vp, video & content production.
Calder, Sheppard and Libran will report to APG executive vp Elyse Rogers, while Machuca will continue reporting to CEO Mike Caren.
Calder most recently served as head of content & digital strategy at the sports marketing and talent management company Wasserman, where he led strategic marketing efforts for brands, pro teams and major sports leagues. Before that, he held a number of marketing, digital, and strategy roles with the L.A. Clippers, Warner Records, Apple and Beats Music.
Machuca began his career as an intern at Atlantic Records before being promoted to a dual A&R role at the label and APG. He has been instrumental in connecting artists behind hit songs including Halsey’s “Without Me” and G-Eazy and Cardi B’s “No Limit.” He additionally co-wrote the Grammy-nominated track “I Like It” for Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
Prior to joining APG, Sheppard worked in film & TV sync for Warner Music UK.
Libran joined APG last year as senior director of video content & production. An actor and producer, he started his career as the co-owner of music video and branded content company JustPressRec.
Chris Turner has been appointed senior director of A&R at Capitol Records, where he will report to label president Jeff Vaughn.
Turner started his career in artist management and concert promotion before joining LA Reid’s Hitco Entertainment, where he served as director of A&R and signed artists including Yella Beezy, Rubi Rose and Woop. Prior to Hitco, he had a joint venture with Epic Records when Reid was the label’s CEO.
Nick Di Fruscia has been hired as development executive at RMusic, the company behind a new iOS app that enables music creators to collaborate. As a result, he will be leaving his role as vp, awards & membership of the Academy of Country Music, ending his three-year stint in the position effective July 16.
Earlier in his career, Di Fruscia served as director of awards at the Grammy Awards for nine years, as well as two years as director of music licensing at MySpcae.
The RMusic iOS app allows music creators to record melody ideas, write lyrics over an instrumental track or beat and share takes and lyrics with a collaborator.
Entertainment One (eOne) has promoted Andre Howard to vp digital marketing and Ebrahim “Abe” Rasheed to director, A&R and artist development.
Howard joined eOne in September 2019 as director, digital marketing. In his new role, he will oversee all aspects of urban digital strategy and initiatives for the company’s urban roster and strategize with its marketing, A&R and operations teams. He reports to eOne executive vp and gm, music Sean Stevenson and president, urban music Alan Grunblatt.
Prior to eOne, Howard worked at music marketing company The Media Music, which he founded. He has also served in a variety of roles at Universal/ Republic Records, Violator Management, Family Tree Entertainment, Def Jam Records, MTV, and EMI.
Rasheed has done A&R and production work for artists including Lil’ Kim, Bryant Myers and Brandy and previously worked at New York urban radio station Hot97, where he booked the Who’s Next emerging artist showcase and curated its accompanying playlist. In his new role, he will focus on growing the company’s urban roster and providing A&R duties for its pre-existing artists. He will also work closely with the company’s publishing division and eOne subsidiary Audio Network to grow its roster of writers and producers. He will report to Grunblatt out of the company’s New York office.
CBS Entertainment has combined the network’s specials and alternative programming units under executive vp Jack Sussman, who has overseen all CBS specials including the Grammys, the Tonys, the Kennedy Center Honors and the Academy of Country Music Awards, among others, since 1998. Under the new structure, Sussman will head up both departments and take on additional responsibilities.
Also announced by the network is the promotion of Mackenzie Mitchell to manager, specials. Mitchell will report to Sussman in her new role.
Production music tech startup Soundstripe – which uses a subscription model to provide unlimited, royalty-free music for video, podcasts and other media – has named 20-year music industry vet Jay Harren as vp of music. Based out of Nashville, Harren will direct the daily operations and vision of the company’s music division, including managing label operations and maximizing revenue for its growing catalog through streaming, publishing and sync opportunities.
Harren started his career at Atlanta alternative radio station 99X/WNNX, where he served as music director and founded and hosted the new-music discovery program Sunday School. He later served as A&R manager at Columbia Records in New York, where he signed Manchester Orchestra and Cassadee Pope, who was then performing with the band Hey Monday. He later took a role as vp of A&R and artist development at the boutique label Descendant Records, which Sony Music Entertainment hired him to launch and run. In 2018, he became head of music partnerships at StubHub.
Milk & Honey management has hired Edo Van Duijn as manager and head of the company’s brand-new Amsterdam office.
An experienced talent manager, Van Duijn will work with and sign DJs, producers and songwriters and bring his pre-existing clients, including Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Bruno Martini and Cat Dealers, to the Milk & Honey roster.
The opening of Milk & Honey’s Netherlands office was spurred by the company’s success with Amsterdam/Rotterdam-based client Oliver Heldens. The company also opened a London office in February.
Over a 20-year career, Van Duijn has helped launch the careers of Latin artists including DJ Marky and Alok and co-produced festivals including Skolbeats, Nokia Trends, Electric Zoo Sao Paulo and Tomorrowland Brasil. He has additionally toured several headline acts in South America, including Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Afrojack, Steve Angello and Axwell, while working with brands including Skol, Fusion Energy, Samsung, Redbull and Nike on artist-driven activations and content deals. He returned to his native Holland in 2017, where he joined festival promoter ID&T as COO. In 2019, he launched an artist management joint venture with ID&T, Headliner Entertainment, which he will continue to lead.
MUSIC ROW MOVES: Bob Reeves started July 2 as Riser House senior vp promotion, working a roster that includes Mitchell Tenpenny and Dillon Carmichael. Reeves previously held the same title at Reviver … Warner Music Nashville COO Matt Signatore will leave the company at the end of the year … Big Machine Label Group made three alterations to its publicity department. Rachel Wendler was promoted to senior manager of communications from manager, Shelby Paul rose to manager from coordinator, and Macy Rivet joined as manager after three years as a Los Angeles-based publicist for imPRint PR … The Recording Academy promoted Shonda Grant to chief people and culture officer from managing director, people and culture. -Tom Roland
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Chris Eggertsen, Khareem Sudlow, DMTDaily
