Here is a lesson in burying the lede from the folks at Billboard, in a story about Warner Music Group merging Ryko Distribution into the Alternative Distribution Alliance: “As part of the move, all labels signed to Ryko will be handled by ADA, with the transition expected to occur over the next 45-90 days. Ryko Distribution has annual sales of about $50 million; Billboard estimates the merged company’s annual volume at $200 million. In order to accommodate the extra volume, ADA will add 12 people to its staff. Meanwhile, the 25-person Ryko staff will be laid off, and those staffers can apply for the new ADA jobs, WMG sources say.” So, the net loss is 13 employees? I understand in these tough times it’s nicer to put the good news first, but c’mon. [Billboard]
