Bronfman Nixes UMG-EMI, iTunes

BRONFMAN NIXES UMG-EMI: Outgoing WMG Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. spent his final day in that post vowing to fight Universal’s proposed $1.9 billion bid to buy EMI’s recorded music division “tooth and nail,” in a conversation with All Things Digital’s Peter Kafka yesterday, insisting the merger would create a market-killing “super major,” adding, "It's dangerous, problematic and has to be stopped." He also pointed out the deal would "determine the future of not only the recorded music industry but any kind of digital music industry as well. Not only that, but the artists and cultural diversity would suffer." Bronfman used the occasion to criticize Apple’s Steve Jobs for “deciding all songs were created equal… Apple got the better part of that deal. I wish we’d gotten more pricing flexibility.” Highlights of the chat embedded below. (2/1p)