HUGHES NEXT AT HITS

In news that isn’t likely to be picked up by Billboard, Kim Hughes has been named Crossover Editor by HITS President Todd Hensley, in a rare moment of coherence.

Why would a veteran label exec decide to join this cesspool after a successful career in promotion and radio? Why did Kobe Bryant risk everything for a little after-hours room service? Some questions have no easy answers.

Commented Editor in Chief Lenny Beer: “She was the only one who could sing the entire songbooks of both Beenie Man and Lorna Luft.”

Hughes will oversee the HITS Crossover department, interact with label promotion and radio executives and give out free LidRocks CDs for use as decorative drink coasters.

Said Hughes: “It is a great pleasure to be here at Record World. In fact, it’s a great pleasure to be anywhere at all these days.”

Hughes was previously West Coast Promotion Director at Big 3 Records, where she did double duty selling mortgages for label head Bill Edwards. Prior to that, she was VP Promotion at Trauma and Loud and National Director Pop and Crossover for RCA.

The Cal grad earned a BA in politics. She’s about to get her master's degree in irrelevance.

Said HITS Special Projects veteran Murphy, offering Hughes some encouragement as she started her new job, “Welcome to the bottom of the fucking barrel.”