COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

Sony Chief Specifies Role for Sagansky: Sony President Nobuyuki Idei said in a memo that Jeffrey Sagansky will continue to coordinate, under Idei’s direction, Sony Corp. of America’s strategic efforts as well as oversee Sony Retail Entertainment, Sony New Technologies and the SW Networks, a syndicated radio network. The memo is the first word from Idei on the future role of Sagansky, a former senior CBS executive, after Sony’s domestic chief, Michael P. Schulhof, was ousted this week. Sony is expected to eliminate the middleman role that Schulhof played between Sony’s Japanese headquarters and its U.S. electronics and entertainment businesses. Separately, Idei said he named three Sony executives--electronics chief Carl Yankowski, Sony Pictures President Alan Levine and Sony Music chief Thomas Mottola--to join Sony Corp. of America’s executive committee.