Sony Japan sacks Mottola

The 14-year reign of Tommy Mottola at Sony Music is over. According to sources at Sony Music, where the phones have not stopped ringing, Mottola only found out he was leaving when he arrived Thursday morning at 550 Madison. "He was told to go see Sir Howard Stringer, and when he got there they handed him a press release," my source said. Mottola was then given a couple of hours to clear out his office. A deal for a record label was, according to sources, Sony's resolution of the last year of his contract.
Also swirling around 550 Madison: the news that Epic Records' beloved chief Dave Glew will retire, and that veteran Columbia Records exec Mel Ilberman will as well. Now the big question is who will replace Mottola, and speculation is already pointing toward Bob Bowlin, already part of the Sony corporate structure and a friend of Stringer and Kevin Kelleher, will assume Mottola's duties. Another rumor has it that former Warner Bros. Home Video head Warren Lieberfarb, who left his own post suddenly last month with no explanation despite much success, may be headed for the job.
Earlier it was reported that Mottola resigned this afternoon as CEO, although it is more true to say that Sony refused to give in to his contract demands. His contract was said to be ending in 2004. The Japanese owners of Sony had a lot on their minds when it came to Mottola's future. The talented but volatile music executive personally forced out two of Sony's major stars, Mariah Carey (his ex-wife) and Michael Jackson. In the case of the former, the embarrassing story of Mottola allegedly stealing music from Carey's Glitter album and passing it to Jennifer Lopez didn't help much. Carey was able to use that information as leverage to leave her Sony contract one album early.
In the case of Jackson, the complicated goings-on regarding his finances and the Beatles catalog culminated last summer in Jackson riding around Manhattan with a megaphone calling Mottola a racist. If there's one thing companies like Sony don't like, it's public humiliation. And Stringer, who runs Sony Entertainment, and is a class act, was never amused by Mottola's antics. There was also the very public fight over royalties with the Dixie Chicks, and the company's inability to make Celine Dion's recent album more than a middling hit.
But in the end, Mottola's ouster is more a result of bottom line numbers. Sony Music is No. 3 on the list of music companies and Columbia Records is third on the list of labels. The failure of the company to market albums by Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and other acts sent their bottom line into a tailspin, and in the end it doesn't matter who likes you or who you don't like. It's about the money.
Of course, Mottola's hot temper didn't help. If you fell out of favor or seemed to be disloyal, bada bing - security guards escorted you to the door. With Mottola gone, there will now be rampant speculation about the future of his group including Don Ienner, Polly Anthony and most especially Michelle Anthony (the two are not related). There are going to be massive changes at Sony. One can only wonder if they'll end with the return of Michael Jackson. Stranger things have happened.
And what of Mottola? He'll start his own label, he has zillions of dollars, and still strikes fear into the hearts of strangers. He has always had a percentage interest in his own management company and that will be a place from which he can draw talent. I'll say this for him: for a long time, longer than most, Tommy Mottola made Sony/Columbia and the record business really interesting. Even when he was tough or seemed out of control, he was kind of brilliant. And he loved the music. That's not a bad legacy.

(Fox 411)

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