Japan Victor returns to the fold
What goes around, comes around, and then some….
Texas Pacific, Permira May Bid for Victor of Japan
Bloomberg.com: Japan
Feb. 3 — Texas Pacific Group, European investment fund Permira and CCMP Capital Asia are among potential bidders for Victor Co. of Japan Ltd., which makes JVC brand electronics, the Asahi newspaper reported...more...
Here’s just a taste some of the insanely confusing history of the “Victor” and Nipper brands.
- Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901 started selling the “Victrola”
- In 1929, RCA, Radio Corporation of America, purchased Victor Talking Machine Company and became RCA-Victor using “Nipper, “His Master’s Voice (HMV)” branding
- In World War II, RCA Victor’s Japanese subsidiary The Victor Company of Japan (JVC) became independent, and today they still use the “Victor” brand and Nipper in Japan only
- In 1953, the a majority stake of JVC has been owned by Matsushita
- RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment
- In 1968, RCA modernized its image with a new logo, replacing the old lightning bolt logo, and the virtual retirement of both the “Victor” and Nipper trademarks. RCA Records reinstated Nipper to most of its record labels beginning in 1976 in countries where RCA had the rights to the Nipper trademark
- In 1986, General Electric acquired RCA and spun off RCA Records to BMG Music who revived the “RCA Victor” brand
- In 2003 Thomson SA bought the RCA trademarks, including Nipper in the Americas, from GE
- In August 2004 BMG Entertainment joined with Sony Music Entertainment to become Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Inc. and now own the recording labels RCA Victor Records and RCA Records.
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February 3rd, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Hey! You forgot the best part of that painting of Nipper the dog…..Nipper is sitting on the COFFIN of his former owner to listen to “His Master’s Voice.” Morbid, ain’t it?