MOOT’S THE POINT

Pub insiders say the deal to put Sony/ATV’s Guy Moot in the driver’s seat at Warner/Chappell is effectively done, with the exec set to relocate to the West Coast—and that it could well be announced any day now. The experienced, charismatic Brit’s family is said to have fallen in love with sunny California. The question of W/C COO Carianne Marshall’s place in the new order is believed to be TBD, with some observers floating the idea of some kind of leadership tandem.

How will the non-compete clauses of Moot, Jon Platt and Marty Bandier play into this unfolding story?

Meanwhile, another Sony/ATV exec is believed to be talking to BMG about a top post in the wake of the Hartwig Masuch-led company’s reorganization.

As for Bandier, he’s said to be preparing to raise a sizable war chest to buy music assets. Could WME/Raine Group be interested in making a play with Marty? Or would Mubadala, which made a colossal score on the EMI Pub deal with him, be a possible partner? One thing’s for sure: The Big Cohiba isn’t done yet.