Pandora Announces New CEO/President/Chairman…And He Doesn’t Have A Music Background

I’m writing this as I listen to my fav Ella Fitzgerald station on Pandora.

Pandora is arguably the #1 Internet radio company in the US. Every day millions of “free” streams set the mood for millions of “free” subscribers at work, in their car, or out in the public. Pandora — who has been at the forefront of a legislation proposal that could change the royalty rates it pays for the music it streams — recently announced a new executive change. 

Today, Pandora announced that it has appointed a new President/CEO/Chairman named Brian McAndrews. Recently employed by aQuantative/Microsoft, McAndrews is an advertising veteran and board member of The New York Times.

Why would the key personnel of a music tech giant not come from within the music industry? Does this say anything about Pandora’s concern for songwriters, artists, publishers, record labels (not as much as their campaign to pay rights owners less money for their music)?

Billboard suggests that this move underscores the company’s plans to further monetize as — what I’m calling — a music-supported advertising platform (did you catch that?), “Pandora is putting more focus on advertising revenue and mobile revenue in particular,” writes Glenn Peoples of Billboard.

Former Pandora CEO, Joe Kennedy, says “With a proven record of growing businesses and managing complex organizations, Brian is uniquely qualified to lead Pandora to the next level in our business.”

Read the announcement on Billboard.