So, Thomas Rabe, the Chief Financial Officer of SonyBMG co-parent Bertelsmann yesterday told Billboard "there are no specific plans to sell our share in SonyBMG", leading to some, well, me mainly, to ask "ah yes, but want about non-specific plans?"
As previously reported, there have been various rumours since Sony Corp and Bertelsmann merged their record companies in 2004 that the latter would sell their share of the JV, to Sony or to a third party. Such rumours resumed recently when FT Deutschland reported that Rabe had met with two private equity concerns to discuss selling their share of the major - something that may be easier to do when the current Sony Bertelsmann JV agreement comes up for review next year.
Although he wouldn't rule out an eventual sale, Rabe said we shouldn't think that next year's JV review means any sort of sale is inevitable, adding that they were very happy with their current joint venture with Sony on all things recorded music. He said: "[The JV agreement review] doesn't mean that we then have to really do anything. Instead, it has to be decided by a partner. In the meantime, we will continue to develop our business jointly. We have good relations with our partner Sony and consensus on the strategy, and we see in our business a significant option value, particularly in the development of new digital business models".
Bertelsmann CEO Hartmuth Ostrowski also made comment at the meeting, which was actually to discuss the media group's current financials, and he seemed to suggest that selling their half of SonyBMG to a third party wasn't a preferred solution, observing: "We might take over 100%, or sell our 50% to Sony so that they have 100% or we might continue the joint venture. All three outcomes are possible".