Not really music to ears: HMV faces closure; 4,000 jobs at risk

Global music chain HMV is on the brink of collapse as Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds have refused to lend further, a development that will cost 4,000 jobs in the entertainment company, according to media reports.

".... HMV's banks -- state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds -- said they were unwilling to go on lending it money," said MailOnline.

"The writing had been on the wall since the run-up to Christmas, when dire sales figures forced the firm to admit it might breach the terms of its bank loans," it said.

HMV could be the second household name to go under this year, following closure of camera chain Jessops with the loss of 1,300 jobs.

It is still possible that a 'white knight' buyer could ride to the company's rescue at last minute, buying part or its entire 230-strong network of stores, the report said.

If not it will mean the end of a name that has graced the high street since 1921. There was no sign of a savior for HMV today, after US-based investment firm Apollo Management walked away from takeover talks, the report said.

Shoppers have spurned physical copies of music, film and books for downloads from websites like iTunes and Amazon.

The report quoted Labour business spokesman Chuka Umunna as saying that "for the sake of HMV's employees, we hope a way can be found to keep the business going - the demise of this institution would be a body blow to British retail".

Administrators could opt to keep stores open during the process in order to raise funds by shifting as much stock as possible, the report said.

HMV failed to keep pace with the digital revolution, as shoppers turned to online retailers such as Amazon. It has also been under attack from supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury, which are able to offer discount DVDs and CDs thanks to their size, it added.