Rob Kahane

It's easy to isolate one of the secrets behind the success of Michael Lippman and Rob Kahane, one of pop music's hottest management teams: Faith. It was faith in a young British singer-songwriter named George Michael that convinced Kahane, a fast-rising Los Angeles talent agent, to resign his position in 1987 at Triad Artists to enter the personal management field.

It's easy to isolate one of the secrets behind the success of Michael Lippman and Rob Kahane, one of pop music's hottest management teams: Faith. It was faith in a young British singer-songwriter named George Michael that convinced Kahane, a fast-rising Los Angeles talent agent, to resign his position in 1987 at Triad Artists to enter the personal management field.

Pop Management Duo Splits: Michael Lippman and Rob Kahane, the hot pop music management team that represents George Michael, Neneh Cherry and Jody Watley, have decided to split. The two managers, whose Los Angeles-based firm has been in business since 1986, will reportedly divide up the clients on their roster and form separate companies. Lippman and Kahane describe the split as "completely amicable."

STACKING UP SALES Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Oct. 9, compared to week-ago and year-ago levels, in millions of units sold: Latest week: Albums: 10.5 Singles: 1.9 Week-ago: Albums: 10.6 Singles: 1.8 Year-ago: Albums: 9.2 Singles: 1.9 Hits Magazine Tip of the Week Manager Rob Kahane's split with client George Michael has drastically increased music industry speculation over a possible settlement between Michael and his record label, Sony.

In response to "Christmas Spirit Wearing Thin" (Pop Eye, Nov. 26), there is a less cynical point of view that must be stated in defense of radio as well as the artists that participate in radio events. Bush, which is signed to Trauma/Interscope Records, has performed in over 45 radio-sponsored events in 1995. The experience has been a beneficial partnership. Radio benefits from the artist's performance . . . the band benefits from the exposure . . . fans are rewarded with some of the most exciting concerts of the year . . . and, most importantly, these events raise awareness and resources for local charities in each market.

The superstars are starting to take sides at CBS Records. Label chief Walter Yetnikoff insists that everything is fine between him and parent company Sony Inc., pointing to his new three-year contract with Sony as a vote of confidence. But Yetnikoff's enemies, claiming his relations with major CBS acts have deteriorated, continue to say that the new contract is in fact a graceful way for Sony to ease the powerful executive out of office.

The battle for George Michael has begun. Even though the English pop thoroughbred can't break free of his Sony Records contract for another nine months at the earliest, record labels are already courting him. "Every major label executive has called me saying, 'Just want you to know we're interested and would offer a ton of money,' but there has been no discussion at all about a deal because we're not free," says Michael's manager Rob Kahane.

The best stars in the charity fund-raising business are those backstage. If that doesn't ring true, just ask Frank Sinatra. Or ask George Michael. Or ask Anne Kahane, the wife of George Michael's co-manager Rob Kahane. Michael's special concert Sunday night at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre raised more than $500,000 for the seven Adam Walsh Child Resource Centers. Or ask Barbara Sinatra, who is putting together the Nov.

Was Michael Jackson's TV coming out an unprecedented public relations coup or the desperate act of a falling star? While 90 million viewers may be still wrestling with what exactly to make of this eccentric superstar, entertainment industry insiders were mostly abuzz Thursday about the effectiveness of the Oprah Winfrey special--Jackson's first TV interview in 14 years. Among those who give Jackson high marks: * "I thought it was a brilliant stroke of public relations.