Sony/ATV Music Publishing is an American music publishing company owned by Sony through Sony Entertainment. The company was originally founded as a division of Associated Television (ATV) in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1985, Michael Jackson acquired ATV Music Publishing for $47.5 million. Paul McCartney, who had told Jackson about the importance of owning publishing, admitted he felt somewhat undercut by the purchase, because ATV Music Publishing owned the publishing rights to most of The Beatles' songs, although he did not enter the bidding when it came up for sale in 1984.