Lack is determined to be more than a music man

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2005 | by David Lieberman

NEW YORK -- Sony BMG Music Entertainment CEO Andrew Lack has seen the future of music: It's video.

Nearly a year ago, he fused Sony Music with the Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) in a 50-50 venture that's the No. 2 music company in the world with about 25% of sales. Now, he is determined to transform it into "a broadly defined entertainment company."

"We're not just in the selling-records business anymore," says Lack, 58. "I'm a content provider. Wherever there's a screen or a set of earplugs, I'm in the game."

He's about to hire leaders for two new screen-oriented divisions: One will focus on music-related films; the other on music-related TV shows, particularly those that could feature Sony BMG acts.

Among projects already in the works: He'll...