By Yuri Kageyama
TOKYO (AP) --Electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp. said Tuesday it plans to invest 1 trillion yen ($9 billion) mostly in image sensors over the next three years, under a revamped strategy to strengthen both hardware and creative content.
Sony also plans to buy for $2.3 billion a 60 percent stake in EMI Music Publishing, from Mubadala Investment Co. EMI has under its wing classics such as the Motown catalog and Queen, and contemporary artists like Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Pharrell Williams.
Sony already owns 30 percent of EMI so once the deal is finalized, it will own 90 percent of the company.
CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told reporters at Sony's headquarters that the company's lead in sensors is key for evolving technologies like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.
The Tokyo-based maker of the Walkman portable player, Aibo entertainment robot and Bravia TVs has amassed know-how over the decades when it was leading in "analog technology," said Yoshida, who was named president and chief executive in February. He said Sony's CMOS image sensor excels in its speed, lighting range and absence of noise.
Yoshida said the company's main theme was "getting closer to people," by connecting consumer services and content throughout its sprawling operations, which include the PlayStation game platform, music, films and home entertainment, still and video cameras, cellphones, computer chips and financial services.
Yoshida said the initiative to beef up Sony's content was also behind a deal announced earlier this month to acquire a stake in Peanuts Holdings, the company behind Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
But Yoshida topped short of giving numbers for profit goals, saying he was presenting a long-term vision rooted in Sony's founding and ongoing philosophy of emotionally inspiring people.
One area where he is counting on growth is the company's TV content business in India, where the population growth is rapid and TVs are still catching on, he said.
Sony, founded in 1946, has had its share of problems, sinking into the red in recent years. It struggled to adjust to the digital age and was hammered by competition from Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and other nimbler rivals.
Sony has sold off chunks of its business, including its Vaio personal-computer unit, to turn itself around. Its cellphone operations are still losing money, but the executives promised that will change soon.
Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among hosts for “SNL” season 50
Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart will kick off the landmark 50th season of "Saturday Night Live."
NBC on Thursday announced the lineup of hosts for the season, which premieres Sept. 28. Joining Smart on the first show will be Jelly Roll as the musical act. He was also at the Emmys, singing during the ceremony's in memoriam segment.
It will be Smart's first time hosting "SNL."
Comedian Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay as the musical guest.
Ariana Grande will host Oct. 12, with musical guest Stevie Nicks.
"Beetlejuice" star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19, the last show before Halloween, and Billie Eilish will be that night's musical guest.
The host on Nov. 2 will be "SNL" alum John Mulaney, with breakout sensation Chappell Roan as the music guest.
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