Report: Chris Harrison Departs Pandora

Chris Hanson

Pandora’s VP of Business Affairs and its Assistant General Counsel, Chris Harrison, has left the company.

Harrison is well-known in music biz circles as Pandora’s legal enforcer, according to musicbusinessworldwife.com.

He has been at the sharp end of its attempts to drive down the royalties it pays to record labels, artists, music publishers and songwriters.

These include Pandora’s purchase of South Dakota terrestrial radio station KXMZ 102.7 FM – which Pandora plans to use to reduce its statutory payments to ASCAP and others.

Fortune reports that Harrison will soon confirm a move to Pandora rival SiriusXM.

Pandora is currently involved in two battles over the statutory rates of its royalty payouts: one with the publishers, represented by ASCAP and BMI, and one with SoundExchange.