columbia houseFilmed Entertainment, the parent company of the Columbia House direct-to-consumer DVD and (former) CD seller, has engaged Sitrick and Company for PR counsel amid its Aug. 10 bankruptcy filing.

Known for its offers of multiple music CDs for a penny in the 1990s, New York-based FE filed for Chapter 11 protection noting a decline from peak revenues of $1.4B in 1996 to just $17M in 2014.

Like the rest of the recording industry, Columbia House was hit hard by the move to digital music. It merged into competitor BMG in 2005 and was sold a handful of times before scrapping the music business in 2009 and turning to DVDs.

"After careful consideration, and with recognition of the continued decline in the physical DVD market, the Company has determined that the best course forward to maximize value is to sell the business through an open auction process under … the U.S. Bankruptcy Code," the company said, adding it will continue to operate and sell DVDs.

Sitrick New York director Tom Becker and Los Angeles-based Anita-Marie Laurie are providing PR counsel to FE.