Imagem Music Group has agreed a deal to buy out the worldwide administration rights contract to the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization (RHO) from EMI Music Publishing.
RHO, the music publishing company which owns the rights to popular stage and film musicals including “Oklahoma!,” “South Pacific” and “The Sound of Music,” was acquired by Imagem Music Group in May 2009. However, many of the exploitation rights outside the U.S. have been part of a long-term administration agreement with EMI, which was in place at the time of the acquisition.
Imagem Music Group and EMI have now mutually agreed that Imagem will buy out the remainder of the EMI contract and take worldwide control of RHO catalog administration effective Jan. 1, 2010.
“I am extremely grateful to EMI for their help and flexibility in putting this agreement together,” said John Minch, CEO of Imagem U.K., in a statement. “They have been involved in developing these rights for many years and have done a first class job with them. But ever since we acquired RHO last year it’s been a bit frustrating not being able to let our synch team and trackers loose to maximize the potential of this great company and to channel the rights through the Imagem network worldwide”
Terms of the buy-out were not disclosed.
