PALM PLUCKS NINE IN MUSIC RESTRUCTURING

Multimedia entertainment outlet Palm Pictures says that it let go nine music staffers in its Los Angeles office on 6/7, but that rumors that its music division had been uprooted were inaccurate.

Chris Blackwell’s company, which delivers its properties on CD, DVD and via the Internet, characterizes the move as a restructuring which, in the words of Music Head Mike Bone, "reflects the reality of the music industry today and repositions Palm as a leaner, tighter team going forward."

According to a release, 22 employees remain in the music division. Most of these are in the company’s New York office.

"Palm is a fully staffed record company with A&R, DMS, sales, promotion, marketing and publicity staff," Bone adds. "We have offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, and London. We are headed in an upward direction. We release excellent records from talented artists. Warner is our distributor through ADA on the music side. WEA is our distributor on the video side."

In response to rumors about the eventual fate of the company, Bone underlines, "There is no plan for Warner to take a stronger role in Palm."

Palm’s flagship label roster includes Local H, Cousteau, Guster (in collaboration with Reprise), Supreme Beings of Leisure and Nortec Collective, among others. Affiliated world-music label Quango boasts buzz band Zero 7 and an array of compilations, and Axiom is the brainchild of producer-fusionist Bill Laswell. Among the releases offered in both CD/DVD form by Palm is the international collaboration concept album 1 Giant Leap.

Among Palm’s past investors is Gateway founder Ted Waitt.