Metropolitan Merges With CMJ

Metropolitan Talent CEO John Scher recently told Pollstar that there was some restructuring occurring at the promotion company. Now it has been announced that Metropolitan will merge with CMJ Network with intent to create college music content.

Scher told Pollstar May 14 the deal has been in the works for about six months and confirmed this was the big news he was intimating back when a rumor was flying that Metropolitan was fending off BK rumors.

“You’ve got competitors who try to make a big deal out of something,” Scher said. ”We felt we had to downsize our one-nighter concert promoter business and sort of had to reserve our forces for a new model that would move us into the future. The old model’s broke. Artist development, concert promotion, radio – it’s all broke. Nobody’s making money.”

To that effect, Scher and partner Al Cafaro have been friends with CMJ CEO Bobby Haber and Music Marathon producer Joanne Abbot Green for a long time, Scher said.

“We came to the conclusion that working together, one and one will make three,” he said. “One of the things right now is lack of artist development, the inability to build headliners, and not just for arenas and amphitheatres but even large theatres and ballrooms. … We’ve discussed these issues with CMJ and realized they’ve got direct relationship with more than 600 radio stations and these stations haven’t been taken seriously for a long time, but they’re the incubators and where the rabid fans are hearing new music for the first time.”

The merger will match CMJ’s college event background with Metropolitan’s national tours, indie label and management division, Scher said, adding that several projects will be rolled out over the next year.

CMJ has already relocated to the Metropolitan offices and are working together to combine resources and develop new properties, according to a statement. The primary focus will be live and Internet initiatives aimed at college music and the companies are expected to work closely with college radio stations.

CMJ Network operates the massive CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, which is expected to take place with more than 1,200 artists and an attendance of 120,000 in about 75 New York City venues Oct. 20-24.

Metropolitan Talent, led by Scher and Al Cafaro, is one of the more well-recognized indie promoters in North America.