Musical Chairs: August 24

Will Osland launches management company

William Osland, who co-owns distribution and licensing company WJO Australia, Checked Label Services and Checked Label Services Publishing, has launched his own management firm.

William Osland Management formed from the small gap in the marketplace for established artists that were leaving major label deals, however struggling with the everyday functions of their back catalogue and new releases.

“Designed to assist artists with the rollout of their product release into the physical, digital and audiovisual market, I have built this company using my ten plus years of successes and failures in the music industry across retail, record label, publishing, digital and global collection,” said Osland.

William Osland Management launches with new signing and 6x Golden Guitar Award winner Melinda Schneider.

Schneider is set to release Melinda Does Doris … Again: The Movie Songs, the follow-up to her #24 ARIA album Melinda Does Doris – A Tribute To Doris Day, on October 14 through Checked Label Services (via Ambition Entertainment and Sony Music).

Nova COO Louise Higgins leaves

After nearly six years at Nova Entertainment – two as CFO, two as Group GM and two in the current COO role – Louise Higgins is leaving in the near future to pursue a new career direction. Group Sales Director, Peter Charlton will, for the time being, take on COO duties as well until further notice.

Nova Entertainment CEO Cathy O’Connor said of Higgins, “She has been a valuable part of our successful senior Nova team and we would like to thank her for her energy and hard work.”

Higgins stated, “I have had nearly six wonderful years with the company and continue to be immensely proud of its ongoing success. During that time I have worked with outstanding people, had amazing experiences and opportunities, with the entire journey being an absolute privilege.”

Higgins was also GM of the Melbourne stations Nova 100 and smooth 91.5. That role now goes to Peter Colosimo from September 1. He joined Nova Entertainment in February 2013 as Sydney Agency Sales Director and in November 2014 was moved to the newly created role of Sydney Sales Director.

Twitter Aus marketing head exits

Marshall Maher, who took over as Head of Marketing at Twitter Australia in January 2015, has apparently left the role some weeks ago and returned to the US. The local operation is currently marketing itself to give a proper picture of what Twitter is really about.

Live Nation announces GM for Melbourne Palais

Live Nation Australia, which takes over the 30-year lease of the Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia in April 2017, announced Mark Graham as General Manager. He has been chief executive for the Bairnsdale Racing Club in country Victoria for the past ten years. Before that he was Event Operations Manager for the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust, which manages Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena, Margaret Court Arena, AAMI Park, the Westpac Centre and the Melbourne Park Function Centre. During the next six months, Graham will be in Doha, Qatar, helping to set up events at two new stadiums managed by Live Nation.

Marcus Seal exits Live Nation

Marcus Seal has exited Live Nation Australia. “I am heading over to take up a role at the City Of Melbourne in September,” he relayed.

Changes at Nova 937

Ross Wallman began this week as afternoon announcer and Assistant Music Director at Nova 937 Perth. He replaces Joel Gelding who is moving to Melbourne for a role at KIIS in Melbourne.

Gold Coast club operator Jamie Pickering retires

One of the Gold Coast’s best-known nightclub operators, Jamie Pickering, has retired from the business. He says that being in his 50s, newly married and adopting a healthy lifestyle is not conducive to running a club. He’s just sold the Bedroom nightclub on Orchid Avenue to its GM, his 24-year old son Max, for $1. In March sold the building in which SinCity nightclub was based for $5.2 million. Pickering admitted that he’s been under investigation by liquor licence authorities as a “proper” person to run a club after an incident involving drugs at his home party two years ago.

Keith McCarten leaves 5MU

Keith McCarten who drove every weekday from his home in Adelaide to Murray Bridge to do drive on 5MU, has quit the station. He’s now working from home providing traffic and lifestyle reports for the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Gladstone with Flood Active.

PIAF announces curators

Perth International Arts Festival announced as four new curators. Clara Iaccarino (Sydney Festival First Night, Darwin Festival) will oversee contemporary music. Yarmila Alfonzetti (Sydney Youth Orchestras CEO, Four Winds Music) will program classical and chamber music. Felicity Fenner and Anne Loxley, both from Sydney, will curate the visual arts program. That the four are from interstate, and replacing WA figures, seems to have caused an upset in some quarters.

New name in ARN Sydney newsroom

Beginning this week at the Australian Radio Network Sydney newsroom is Sacha Barbour, as journalist and weekend news presenter. She was previously at Star 104.5 on the NSW Central Coast.

Tony Moclair to host Australia Overnight

Tony Moclair now hosts Australia Overnight from midnight to 5.30am on 3AW Melbourne, 2UE Sydney, and other regional stations. Moclair, an entertainer, and writer, is known to 3AW ears as a regular guest on some of its shows.

Seven’s live events division head joins BBC

Dustin Lockett, who launched Seven West Media’s live events RED Live division in 2014, is now with BBC Worldwide ANZ as its Commercial Director. He will also oversee its live events and entertainment (some based on BBC global brands as Doctor Who, Sherlock and BBC Earth) as well as consumer products and home entertainment. He will also develop all ancillary brand licensing revenue streams. In the past, the BBC Worldwide team staged the Doctor Who Festival in Australia last year, and has the Louis Theroux Live On Stage tour on its way.

As the VP of Live Events at FremantleMedia from 2010-13, Lockett was responsible for the X Factor Australian tours as well as tours around MasterChef, Grand Designs Live and QI Live. At RED Live, shows he promoted included Ghost The Musical, Better Homes & Gardens Live and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo spectacular, which 150,000 over three days at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium in February this year.

New additions at Rocket

Nate Nott from Polyester Records (also with a background in label management and A&R) has joined Melbourne distributor, marketing and label service firm Rocket as thenewin-house publicist to focus primarily on Rocket’s international labels. These include Secretly Distribution, Metal Blade and Drag City, while Rocket also handles Australian labels Chapter, Bedroom Suck and Aarght.

The 20-year-old company also secured the services of former AIR CEO Dan Nevin who, now based in London, will assist with developing its international business.

Universal appoints Samantha Fink

Universal Music Group appointed Samantha Fink as new SVP of Human Resources. Based at its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, she will work with the company’s affiliates around the world, including Australia and New Zealand. Fink has worked in HR for 20 years with brands as Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Prada.

Former Total Girl editor begins blog

Former Total Girl Editor Amanda Nicholls has launched Entertain My Tribe, a Facebook /Instagram based activity resource designed for parents and playgroups to find new contacts and new events.

Hamish Macdonald at Nylon Studios

Hamish Macdonald has joined Simon Lister’s sound-house Nylon Studios as business partner and Global Executive Producer. Nylon has offices in Sydney and New York. Macdonald, previously based in Melbourne, was a producer at Exit Films and an EP at XYZ Studios.