EMI New Music COO to depart

EMI's COO of New Music, Jeff Kempler, is reportedly the latest senior exec to leave the major. There were reports last week that Kempler, who reported to EMI's top A&R man Nick Gatfield, was moving to a new role within the major after the COO of New Music post was abolished. However, HitsDailyDouble now reports that Kempler will simply leave the record company altogether. Kempler is one of the very few EMI old guard (ie people who were there before the Terra Firma acquisition in 2007) still working for the major's recordings division. He joined EMI in 2005, following his former boss from Warner Music, Jason Flom, when he took over at EMI's Virgin US division. Flom departed from the all new EMI last year.