Murdoch takes 50% of DMG

Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT) today announced that Illyria will acquire 50 per cent of DMG Radio Australia and that Lachlan Murdoch will become chairman of the joint venture company.
DMG Radio Australia holds nine radio licences, including the national Nova FM network of stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and the Vega FM stations in Sydney and Melbourne.

Cathy O’Connor, chief executive of DMG Radio Australia , said today that the new joint venture is ‘an exciting step forward for DMG Radio Australia ’.

Big Rex signing off from 3AW (AUDIO)

Rex Hunt has tonight pulled up anchor at 3AW and presented his final fishing show on the station. We have captured the audio of Rex signing off for the last time Listen

Macquarie Radio earnings set to rise 31%

Macquarie Radio Network Ltd, which owns Sydney radio stations 2GB and 2CH, says its performance this year was significantly better than 2008/09, and should lead to full-year earnings growth of 31 per cent.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for 2009/10 should be more than $8.5 million, compared with normalised EBITDA of $6.5 million in the prior year, chairman Russell Tate said at the firm's annual general meeting on Friday. Full story SMH

Around WA in 365 days

ABC Local Radio WA listeners have forwarded photos from all around the state for a chance to have their image in the inaugural 2010 WA calendar.
All ABC Local Radio stations got involved and Barry Nicholl's Regional Drive program really got his listeners snapping. The competition resulted in a mass of user generated content never before seen at Local Radio.

Coalition Still Seeks to Stack ABC Board

"The Coalition's response to government moves to legislate for a merit-based system for ABC and SBS board appointments is extremely disappointing,” said Glenys Stradijot, a spokesperson for Friends of the ABC (Vic).

Today, Senator Minchin announced the Coalition will seek two amendments to the National Broadcasting Amendment Bill - one to reduce the restriction on the appointment of former politicians and senior staff to the boards of the ABC and SBS to only 18 months after holding office, and the other to prevent the staff-elected director position being restored to the ABC Board.

Yibbida Yibbida! Hunt leaves 3AW for 3MMM

3AW's chief football caller Rex Hunt has accepted an offer from 3MMM which will see him calling AFL games for the station in 2010. After the 2009 AFL Grand Final Rex was informed by 3AW General Manager Shane Healy that he was being replaced as chief football caller but would be retained by the station to call Sunday afternoon games in 2010. Hunt has been replaced by Brian Taylor who has jumped ship from 3MMM. Listen to the audio of Shane Healy on 3AW's Sports Today discussing the events surrounding his decision to replace Rex Hunt.

Digital radio Christmas ad campaign begins

CRA RELEASE: The next phase in Commercial Radio Australia’s $10 million digital radio awareness campaign begins this week with a series of radio and online advertisements pitching a digital radio as the perfect gift for Christmas.

Going to air across more than 40 commercial radio stations in the five digital radio metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the campaign will support all retailers selling digital radios and complement the extensive catalogue, in store promotion and radio advertising by larger retail outlets in the lead up to Christmas.

Julie Singleton Sunday nights on 2UE

Julie Singleton, the ex wife of 2GB supremo John Singleton, tonight begins a new program on 2UE. Julie, who was Singo's fifth wife, will present Legal Matters which will focus all things legal including divorce & family law, crime including drink-driving, car accidents, speeding offences, apprehended violence orders and other areas like wrongful dismissal, discrimination, buying and selling a home, tenancy problems! She has previously been a regular on the Tim Webster 2UE afternoon program. The new show takes the place of Sunday Night At The Movies, which was hosted by Dale Sinden and Simon Foster.

Nova’s new national nights are noice

Nights will sound different on the Nova Network next year with dmg Radio Australia announcing the arrival of two new national shows you’ll hear around Australia in 2010.

Michelle, Smallzy and James Kerley will broadcast nationally from 7 - 10pm weeknights across the Nova network, commencing 23 November, 2009. Michelle Anderson and Kent “Smallzy” Small have enjoyed unprecedented success as Nova Brisbane’s nights team since 2007. They will be joined by Nova Sydney’s James Kerley, one of the country’s brightest up and coming multi media stars.

NewsRadio proposed for Deni & Upper Murray

ACMA release: The Australian Communications and Media Authority is seeking written submissions from the public on proposals to make channels available for ABC NewsRadio services in Deniliquin and the Upper Murray region.

The ACMA is proposing to make channel capacity (100.9 MHz) available in Deniliquin and Upper Murray to allow the ABC to provide its NewsRadio service.

‘The proposed changes are part of the broader plan to extend these ABC services to all transmission areas of Australia with a population of 10,000 or more,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.

Gavin Miller to quit 96fm

96fm drive announcer Gavin Miller has decided to move on from the station at the end of the year. Gavin made a tongue in cheek posting on Twitter regarding his upcoming resignation which read “I have an announcement to make: I have resigned from 96fm, effective December 31st. My plan is to sell up, head east, and repair my career,.. and for the record the whole thing could not be more amicable. All good.”

Behind The Wheel clocks up 500

Joel Helmes this week produced Behind the Wheel episode number 500. He says when he started the concept two years ago he was afraid he would run out of motoring topics, instead he says the concept has grown to include a one hour weekly show, a Television program (which is in the pipeline) and a spin-off, Carsguide Radio. BTW is now heard across six states.

Good Charlotte ditch tastless radio stunt

The Good Charlotte boys Joel and Benji Madden have stormed out of a Melbourne radio station after taking offence to an interview segment about Britney Spears.

The normally laid-back twins began the interview with Fox 101.9 breakfast show hosts Jo Stanley and Matt Tilley by warning the pair that they were "pretty wrecked" after a big night out.

After answering a few preliminary questions, the Madden brothers were asked to play a game to test if they could sense what the other was feeling. Full story NineMSN

Nova 969 signals a change in breakfast radio

dmg Radio Australia has today announced that Nova 969’s Tim “Rosso” Ross and Kate Ritchie will not be returning to the station in 2010.

David Borean, general manager of Nova 969 said “Tim has played a big part in the station since it launched in 2001.

“We thank him for his contribution in helping shape what the station is today. This is the end of an era as Tim moves on to other personal projects.”

After two years with Nova 969, Kate Ritchie will be returning to her true love – acting – in 2010.

Vic Davies loses lung cancer battle

Vic Davies, who co-hosted the long-running Club Veg show, has died after a short battle with lung cancer. Davies, 55, passed away at 1.30pm (AEDT) yesterday, five months after being diagnosed with the disease.

He is best known for presenting the comedy music show, Club Veg, along with Mal Lees, which ran for 15 years on various radio stations in New South Wales. The segment featured song parodies and comic sketches, most of which were written by Davies.

He got his big break while working as a copywriter for radio ads, landing a gig on the ABC's youth station Triple J in 1984.

He and Lees moved to 2SM in 1987, and were poached by Triple M in 1989.

The station dropped the iconic show in 2002.

His family and a close friend, Rina Ferris, issued a statement today announcing his death.

"Vic was loved by many and we were honoured to call him our friend. We will always miss him and he will remain in our hearts forever," the statement said.

Industry announces digital radio report

CRA release: A new digital radio industry report - tracking who’s listening to the new technology, how many digital radios have been sold and the overall awareness of digital radio - will be released by Commercial Radio Australia in early 2010.

The industry report will provide a comprehensive market snapshot of digital radio and will include top line digital radio listening figures from Nielsen Radio Ratings, consumer research from Nielsen Panorama and Hoop Group, digital radio sales data from GfK and consumer survey information sourced from tracking studies on Commercial Radio Australia’s digitalradioplus website and facebook page.

Nielsen radio ratings survey 7

Survey 7 of the Nielsen radio ratings have been released today, one day early due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday. Check out the results for Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney here.

Vale Tim Bickerstaff

Veteran New Zealand radio broadcaster Tim Bickerstaff has passed away at home in Whitianga at the age of 67. It is understood Tim suffered a massive heart attack on Saturday (31 October) and his body was discovered by local children who had come knocking on Halloween Night.
Many would remember Tim from his time spent working at Melbourne station 3DB in the 1960's. He soon returned to New Zealand where he pioneered talkback on Sportsline with Geoff Sinclair on Radio 1 before moving onto more general talkback with his two-hour Radio Pacific show.