NARM Buzz I

NARM BUZZ I: As the music retail world flocks to Chicago for this weekend's NARM convention, one major buzz surrounds the naming of EMI executive Darren Stupak as the new head of Sony Music’s sales and distribution operations, and the exit of his predecessor, J.J. Schaidler, who left Best Buy to take the job a little less than two years ago. EMI’s Ronn Werre nimbly avoided the inevitable buttonholing by conventioneers by promoting Dominic Pandiscia to EVP of Sales even before Sony had announced Stupak’s hiring. (5/13p)