New NARAS Pres to Be Named

Neil Portnow to be named:

Portnow, an executive with Jive Records, was one of five finalists under review by the board, which voted Sunday, sources said. The Santa Monica-based academy is in charge of the Grammy Awards.

He would replace longtime Grammy chief C. Michael Greene, who stepped down in April after an ugly in-house battle and accusations of sexual harassment.

Greene quit at an emergency meeting of Grammy trustees in which a report was presented on those accusations, although the academy then released a statement saying an internal investigation had cleared Greene of any misconduct.

Greene had vast authority and served both as chairman and president of the organization. But under revamped guidelines, the new president will report to the board and have reduced authority.

Portnow is senior vice president of West Coast operations for Zomba Group, which is the home of Jive Records.