No BMG Sale but Partner Is Sought

German media giant Bertelsmann said it didn’t plan to sell its BMG record label, but it continues to seek a partner with which to merge its music operation.

Bertelsmann Chief Executive Gunter Thielen told reporters that “for the moment I can’t see” auctioning BMG, which releases music by such acts as Alicia Keys and Avril Lavigne.

Instead, he said the company would continue seeking a partner to create a jointly owned music company.

Bertelsmann and rival EMI Group both have been talking with AOL Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Music division. Bertelsmann also has discussed possible deals with EMI and Sony Corp., Thielen said.