Troubaduo: Blue Highway's Jackson Dean (r) with KKGO's Adam Bookbinder at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Hoodie & The Blowfish: Big Loud's Ashley Cooke in Portland, OR. Pictured (l-r) are B-Dub Radio's Bryan "B-Dub" Washington, Cooke and KUPL's Mallory Santic and Jamie "J.T." Tanchyk.
Companywide Universal Music Group layoffs have resulted in the exits of MCA COO Rob Femia; SVP/Promotion & Regional Marketing Miranda McDonald; VP/E-Commerce & Business Development Taylor Viegut; Dirs./Regional Promotion John Trapane, Donna Jo Passuntino, Ashley Knight and Shannon Hogan; and Dir./Radio Marketing Houston Gaither.
Femia joined then-UMGN in 2013 and was elevated to COO in 2025 (CAT 6/5/25). McDonald arrived in 2012 and rose to SVP earlier this year (CAT 3/16). Viegut was named VP in 2025 after five years with the company (CAT 11/11/25). Trapane joined Capitol in 2009 and transitioned to EMI in 2012, and Passuntino has been with the label group for nearly 20 years. Knight and Hogan joined in 2013 and 2021, respectively, and Gaither came aboard from Sony Music Nashville in 2024 (CAT 6/25/24). Reach McDonald here, Viegut here, Trapane here, Passuntino here, Knight here, Hogan here and Gaither here.
Jump Back, What's That Sound? Former Stoney Creek VP/Innovation, Radio & Streaming Adrian Michaels has launched the Adrian Michaels Agency offering international management and consulting from offices in Nashville; Panama City, Panama; and Dominical, Costa Rica. First client Mary Kutter will release her BMG debut single "Damn I Love You" Friday (10/23). "I have been traveling between Nashville, Panama and Costa Rica for the past decade and have absolutely fallen in love with the pura vida lifestyle of Central America," Michaels says. "Along with the agency, my plan is to be a musical ambassador bringing Nashville music to both Panama and Costa Rica while bringing Panamanian and Costa Rican music to Nashville." Congratulate Michaels – and wish him a happy birthday – 
