In a move to expand its reach in music, David C. Cook has acquired Integrity Music, whose artists include Israel Houghton, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Lincoln Brewster and Paul Baloche.

C. Ryan Dunham, formerly Cook's senior vice president of sales and marketing, will serve as president of Integrity Music.

Finalized June 1, the acquisition from Integrity Media "makes sense from both a ministry as well as a business standpoint," Dunham said. "Both organizations are widely respected for their international reach and their worship music catalogs. Cook is no newcomer to the worship music ministry."

In 1993, Cook acquired Kingsway, a worship music company in Eastbourne, England, and partnered with EMI Christian Music Group to produce the Thank You Music song catalog. Kingsway artists include Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Brenton Brown and The City Harmonic.

"As Integrity Music prepares to celebrate 25 years in ministry, I look forward to seeing the expanding impact of Integrity songs and products around the world," said Integrity co-founder and CEO Michael Coleman.

Begun as a direct-to-consumer music club in 1987, the Mobile, Ala.-based business changed its name to Integrity Media in 2002 to better reflect the company's growth and development.

Integrity Music had been making changes to try to adapt to "monumental shifts in the marketplace, but it has been quite a challenge," Coleman said in a statement, the Mobile Press-Register reported. "An earlier staff reduction and the listing of our property in Mobile were part of the most recent changes. This combined with the sale of our music assets will help us address a number of issues as we navigate this changing landscape."

Integrity Music will operate independently within Cook as "a strategic ministry unit," relocating to the company headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., after a transition period of three months. Distribution of Integrity Music products in the U.S. will continue through Provident-Integrity Distribution, Columbia Records and Sony Music Distribution.

Integrity Media plans to sell its international companies in the U.K., South Africa and Singapore, but will continue to operate its remaining divisions from Mobile, including Integrity Worship Institute, Integrity Direct and Integrity Notes greeting cards, AllAccess.com reported.

• Prev
• Next