LOS ANGELES, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD),
the award-winning sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Universal
Music Group, the world's leading music company, has promoted Ron Spaulding to
President of Fontana, UMGD's independent distribution arm. The announcement was
made today by Jim Urie, President and Chief Executive Officer of UMGD, to whom
Spaulding reports. Formerly, Mr. Spaulding served as Executive Vice President &
General Manager of Fontana.



"Since joining us, Ron has brought extensive retail contacts and a wealth of
credibility within the artistic community which the Fontana Team has translated
into a great success story," stated Mr. Urie. "In the past year alone, Fontana
has had enormous accomplishments on both the indie and the Top 200 charts and
has up-streamed numerous artists to our labels. Moreover, over the last year,
Ron has overseen the restructuring of Fontana into a digital player second to
none in the world of music distribution. His sense of humor and infectious
enthusiasm has energized all of us that have the pleasure to work with him every
day. We are delighted to expand the playing field even more with this
well-deserved promotion."



"Being a part of Fontana has been one of the most personally rewarding and
professionally fulfilling experiences of my career," added Mr. Spaulding. "I
cannot thank Jim enough for his generous support and confidence; and working
closely with the entire Fontana team continues to be a constant source of
inspiration since they are second to none. We have built a vibrant and musically
diverse company, with a spirited and competitive staff. I am looking forward to
building further upon that winning energy; we are only just beginning to realize
the possibilities of what we can accomplish."



Prior to joining Fontana, Mr. Spaulding served as Executive Vice
President/General Manager of Asylum and EastWest Records, overseeing the
day-to-day operations of both labels. He also served as the Senior Vice
President of Sales at WEA, Warner Music Group's distribution arm. His background
also includes serving as Senior Vice President of Sales at Elektra Entertainment
Group and in a number of senior positions at Priority Records.



About Fontana

Fontana Distribution, the independent arm of Universal Music Group Distribution
(UMGD), provides unparalleled sales and marketing support, as well as back
office and label services, for a diverse roster of labels and their artists.
Fontana distributes more than 100 labels including Downtown Music, Savoy,
Vagrant Records, Eagle Rock, VP Records, American Gramaphone, Six Degrees, Last
Gang Records, SMC, Delicious Vinyl, ESL, Kedar Entertainment, Ministry of Sound,
Ipecac, Strange Music, Music World, VH1 Classic Records, MySpace Records and
many others. In addition, Fontana distributes select projects from Universal
Music Group labels worldwide.




SOURCE Universal Music Group