LOS ANGELES COUNTY - News from Dec. 13, 1986

Capitol Industries-EMI Inc. formally announced Friday that Joe Smith has been named vice chairman and chief executive and David Berman has been named president of the Los Angeles-based record and music publishing firm. Smith will report to Bhaskar Menon, chairman of Capitol Industries-EMI as well as EMI Music Worldwide, and Berman will report to Smith.

In their new positions, Smith will directly oversee the record-label operations while Berman will be responsible for the areas of manufacturing, finance and music publishing

Smith is former chairman of Elektra/Asylum Records and Warner Bros./Reprise Records. He said he will resign his recently appointed position as president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to take the Capitol job.

Berman, a graduate of Harvard Law School and former partner in the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, was most recently senior vice president of business affairs at Warner Bros. Records.