February 13, 2007

By by Brian Garrity, N.Y.

David Goldberg and Robert Roback, the duo leading Yahoo's music efforts, are leaving the company. The two executives announced their resignations Monday for "personal reasons" expressing a desire to "go back to our entrepreneurial roots."

Vince Broady, head of entertainment and games at Yahoo, will oversee the online portal's music operations moving forward. Goldberg and Roback will continue on in their roles temporarily as part of a transitional process.

They came to Yahoo in 2001 as part of the online giant's $12 million acquisition of LAUNCH Media, the internet music video and radio portal they founded.

Launch was later re-branded as Yahoo Music, which has become one of the most
popular music portals on the Web with more than 25 million unique visitors per month.

Over the last year, Goldberg, the public face of Yahoo Music, has been one of the most prominent advocates of the major labels dropping DRM restrictions on a la carte downloads. He had been giving press interviews on the subject over the last week.

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