Source: MTV exec Holt offered MySpace Music job

MySpace Music has offered its vacant CEO position to Courtney Holt, MTV Networks' executive vice president of digital music and media, according to a music industry source with knowledge of the negotiations.

The source said that Holt, previously an executive at Interscope Records, may be close to agreeing to the deal but that there are several sticking points.

The News Corp.-owned MySpace launched its music service last month, featuring streaming-music deals from all four major record labels and a retail affiliate partnership with the Amazon MP3 store.

In September, shortly before MySpace Music launched, reports indicated that the CEO choice had been narrowed to two: former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta and music industry mainstay Andy Schuon. Earlier that month, the New York Post published a longer "short list" that included those two as well as Holt.

Holt's departure from MTV Networks would come at a time of upheaval at parent company Viacom. Impending layoffs at the media conglomerate, perhaps staged in phases to avoid publicity or shock, have been well documented. And a source within Viacom said that there has been talk of some "reorganization" within Holt's digital-media division.

Holt, who is currently based in New York, could not be immediately reached for comment. A MySpace representative declined to comment.

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy co-wrote this report.

[streamOG]

Courtney is a great guy and as a former customer of ours at NaviSite, I found him to be very bright, amicable and yet able to guide a ship at sea. The job at MTV I think has been less than exciting for him and with their general exit from selling music, this may be another shot for Courtney to make some change.

I bet he would be stoked to get back to LA as well and I am sure he misses all his former Universal buddies. Good luck with all of that Courtney.

[runswithscissorsXX]

seriously? ***? why would anyone hire someone from MTV for a music site? this is the company that's done more to alienate youth from music than anything else. so now britney spears is going to allllll over myspace and every small act will get absolutely zero exposure?

please. this decision proves the utter bankruptcy of ideas at myspace.

[streamOG]

Oh pleeeze. Courtney is very in touch with the music scene at large and hardly a corporate wonk at MTV.

[Sparky650]

Why hire someone from MTV? They seem to know very little about music.