WMG on the Block

THE WHOLE OR SUM OF ITS PARTS? Warner Music Group would prefer to sell the company as a whole, rather than entertain offers for parts of the business, according to a report in today’s Wall Street Journal. As we told you yesterday, that might be the case for bidders like Ron Burkle and Len Blavatnik, still reportedly anxious to acquire the full enchilada, but if KKR/BMG lands the winning bid, they could spin off portions of recorded music here and overses to either UMG or Sony, neither of whom are involved in this latest round of bidding. According to WSJ, WMG began telling bidders today of its decision to sell the entire company, while still reportedly leaving themselves open to various options after assessing those offers. (4/13p)