dmg Radio cuts ties with Daily Mail Group and rebrands as Nova Entertainment

dmg Radio Australia will become Nova Entertainment, as the company continues to move into more diverse entertainment interests.

Lachlan Murdoch acquired 50% of dmg Radio in November 2009, purchasing the remaining 50% in September 2012. Although Murdoch’s company Illyria has owned dmg Radio outright for close to eighteen months, the company still retained its link to the Daily Mail Group, if in name only.

The Nova brand has strengthened in recent years, with successful growth across all five of its ’Nova’ stations, as well as expansion into live events with the Nova Red Room enterprise. The company also launched the smooth TV channel last December, through the Foxtel platform, and instore radio station Coles Radio last month – as well as entering into a JV for the Australian operations of popular streaming service Rdio.

Chairman Lachlan Murdoch says of the change: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved as dmg Radio. The business has grown significantly and now holds dominant positions in the media channels it operates in. The change to Nova Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter for our business as we continue to broaden our entertainment offering outside of our core radio business.”

CEO Cathy O’Connor echoes this sentiment: “Four years ago we set a strategy to revitalise the business, reposition the Nova brand and launch smoothfm and also look for ways to leverage our brands, content, audience and expertise into new areas. We have delivered strong growth from this plan and the Nova Entertainment name better reflects the company that we have become.”