Johannesburg - South Africa’s largest music distributor, MFP (Music for Pleasure) has reportedly been liquidated temporarily.

However, Volksblad was not able to confirm this with MFP directly on Tuesday, since no-one was answering any phone numbers for the company.

MFP, which was established in 1970, distributes CDs and DVDs to, amongst others, chains such as Game, Makro, Shoprite and Checkers, CNA, Edgars and Pick ‘n Pay.

The news of MFP’s apparent downfall was received from the veteran announcer and TV presenter Edwill van Aarde.

“I heard from a young clerk on Tuesday that MFP is bankrupt,” said Van Aarde.

“This is shocking news. MFP is not only the largest distributor of Afrikaans music in the country, but of all CDs. Due to the recession, people would rather spend R100 on food than on a CD,” said Van Aarde.

Monopoly

An employee of the record company EMI who doesn’t want his name mentioned, on Tuesday also confirmed that he had heard about MFP’s liquidation.

MFP buys CDs from the record companies, and distributes them to shops.

Angie Kleinsmith, who is Pink ‘n Pay’s CD buyer, says MFP told everyone “to keep quiet”.

Ronnie Geselowitz, Universal Music’s sales manager, says it’s still too soon to determine how the alleged liquidation will influence their sales.

Kobie Koen, managing director of Vonk Musiek, says he heard the news when he phoned MFP on Tuesday morning to confirm a meeting he had scheduled with them.

“They told me the place is closed due to liquidation.”

Koen feels the record companies are the worst hit. “It was always a kind of monopoly. Nobody else besides MFP is allowed to distribute CDs to places like Pick ‘n Pay. Now we have to pay the price.”

It was confidentially discovered that MFP’s employees had to clear out their offices on Tuesday.

- Volksblad

http://www.news24.com/Content/Entertainment/SouthAfrica/1043/57c15ecf2da1409c93140ba7c555a129/01-07-200910-07/Music_distributor_bankrupt