WMG INFORMATION CHIEF:
A NOBLE CALLING

Jim Noble has been tapped by Warner Music Group chieftain roger ames',390,400);">roger ames',390,400);">Roger Ames to serve as Sr. VP and Chief Information Officer.

Noble, formerly Global Head of IT at General Motors, will be based in New York and will now undertake such delicate matters as making sure Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers is equipped with the On-Star system so the band doesn't get lost on the road.

Oh, and he'll also "focus on maximizing the opportunities presented by new media" and by Time Warner's pending merger with AOL and WMG's proposed marriage with EMI. He'll report to EVP/CFO Jerry Gold, who will find the things he reports about just as incomprehensible as Ames does.

"We're very pleased to have an executive of Jim's caliber joining the Music Group team," wrote a publicist who does a passable imitation of Ames on the phone. "As a proven leader in electronic business, Jim certainly has the creative credentials and a track record of innovation that will serve him well in the music business. And he's the only one in the East Coast office who owns a car, so he's sure to be popular."

Noble holds two audio compression patents related to the development of the MP3 codec, which means he could be eligible to collect royalties from WMG music traded on Napster.

Before GM, Noble worked for Boston-based IT Services outfit CAP GEMINI, and before that, served at engineering firm Trafalgar House plc and the UK's General Electric Company.