Sony Music USA has booted out the most powerful man in Australian pop music from the company’s Australian arm

Sony Music Australia’s CEO Denis Handlin reportedly handed in his resignation after 37 years at the helm.

Staff were alerted of Handlin’s sudden departure this morning by a company-wide email from the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Group USA, Rob Stringer.

The news comes as the record label continues its investigations into allegations of harassment and bullying.

In the email, Stringer says “Denis Handlin will be leaving Sony Music Entertainment after more than 50 years with the Company, effective immediately”.

Stringer continues by noting “it is time for a change in leadership and I will be making further announcements in terms of the new direction of the business in Australia and New Zealand in due course.”

An Australian news outlet reportedly reached out to Sony’s head office last week with multiple complaints from former employees.

The complaints, which are aimed broadly at the workplace culture rather than specific individuals, include allegations of sexual harassment at work events, intimidating behaviour, alcohol abuse and the unfair treatment of women in the workplace.

Those complaints span more than twenty years, according to reports.

None of the former Sony employees the source spoke to made any allegations of sexual harassment against Handlin himself, however, each had been critical of the company workplace culture.

Following months of investigating claims, the media source sent a letter detailing the allegations to the head office in New York on 14 June.

On Monday a statement was issued by the chairman of Sony Music Entertainment, Rob Stringer, saying Handlin would be leaving “effective immediately”.

Handlin has been the chief executive of Australia’s most successful record label for 37 years and its chairman since 1996.

He played a central role in the careers of some of Australia’s most celebrated artists, including John Farnham, Midnight Oil, Silverchair, Men at Work and Human Nature.

He is the Australian Recording Industry Association’s longest serving board member.

Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut “in a matter of days” after authorities froze the company’s assets under a national security law, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai says.

According to reports, Friday will be the last day for the 26-year-old newspaper.

Media advocacy groups say that the closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony’s reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country.

The publisher’s head company Next Digital will hold a board meeting on Monday to
discuss how to move forward after its lines of credit were frozen.

“We must press on”: news raid sends “shockwaves” through Hong-Kong

Following raids on a Hong Kong newsroom last week, a journalist based in the city-state says it has sent “shockwaves” through the entire industry.

500 Hong Kong police offices raided Apple Daily to arrest a number of top executives and seize documents over allegations the publisher breached national security laws.

Elaine Yu from the Wall Street Journal says the incident “raises important new questions about how media outlets can report on topics that are now considered highly sensitive.”

Apple Daily says the company’s CEO, COO and three editors were all arrested during the raids.

The behaviour of the individuals is said to have breached legislation that prohibits sedition, secession and subversion against Beijing.

The assistant to Apple Daily’s chairman says operations at the newsroom are limited because Hong Kong authorities have seized many of the company’s accounts.

He also says “it’ll get harder for reporters to get people to talk to them because the police can now potentially seize reporter’s files and devices through a court warrant.”

Sold out news stands with “we must press on” printed on front page

“We must press on”… that was the message on the front page of Apple Daily, that people in hong kong queued up for.

Many Hong Kong locals have have queued up to buy copies of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily… a day after its newsroom was raided by police.

The paper typically prints about 80,000 copies but increased that to 500,000 to meet demand.. and some news stands sold out.

A total of five executives were arrested including the Editor-in-chief and chief executive officer.

Police made the arrests on suspicion of collusion with a “foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security”.

Meanwhile, this is the second time that police have searched the building.

The company’s founder Jimmy Lai, was recently arrested for national security violations.

Mr Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence.

The raid follows arrests made at the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre last month.

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