Music video licensing company VPL has appointed Geoff Kempin as Chairman, following the retirement of Fran Nevrkla at the end of 2015. Kempin has been a director of VPL since its inception in 1983, and continues as Executive Director of Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Kempin has worked in the music industry for more than 40 years, beginning at EMI Records as a Graduate Management Trainee where he was involved in marketing artists including Queen, Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney, Bob Seger and The Rolling Stones. His experience in the business of music and pictures stemmed from becoming MD of Picture Music International (EMI) in 1980, followed by Polygram International Video, Castle Music Pictures and finally Eagle Rock Entertainment where he has overseen advances in the evolution of music audiovisual formatting and monetisation. He has played an instrumental role in transforming music concerts and documentaries into commercially viable programmes for TV broadcast across the globe, and in releasing music shows on DVD and Blu-ray formats.
In the late 1980s, Kempin was particularly influential in negotiating the first agreement with MCPS to establish the rate of mechanical payment for visual formats. He later led negotiations on behalf of the UK record industry as Chairman of the IFPI Music Video Committee, which resulted in an industry-wide agreement with MTV in 1990.
In 1997, Kempin co-founded Eagle Rock Entertainment (acquired by Universal Music Group in 2014) with Terry Shand, where the two continue their involvement in the production and commercial release of music visual programming as Executive Producers.
‘As a Director of VPL from its inception in 1983, alongside Fran [Nevrkla], I have pursued a mission to recognise revenue against the visual rights controlled by the music business which we represent,’ he says. ‘As Chairman, I look forward to working with the other directors to support the great work of Peter Leathem and his team in growing business with broadcasters and other media platforms.’
‘Geoff, together with a small number of us, was one of the founding members who set up VPL as a separate organisation responsible for safeguarding and monetising the rights in music videos,’ Nevrkla says. ‘His unique knowledge of the audiovisual market is second to none as is his courage and determination to stand up for the rights of others. I wish him all the success in his new role and I know that together with Peter Leathem, the CEO of VPL and PPL, they will make an excellent and effective team.’
‘We are very proud to welcome Geoff as the Chairman of VPL,’ adds Peter Leathem, CEO, VPL and PPL. ‘He has been a leading figure in the music video rights industry for many years now and will make an important contribution to VPL in his new role.’
More: www.ppluk.com
