Musical Chairs: Jan 13
Unified taps Blunt Editor for publicity role
Unified has hired Blunt Magazine’s Editor Amy Simmons as its new full time publicist.
Simmons will work across the company’s offshoots UNFD, ONETWO, Fearless Records and Hopeless Records, working with acts including Northlane, Allday, Dead Letter Circus, All Time Low, In Hearts Wake, The Used and Hands Like Houses.
Simmons spent six years with Blunt Magazine, where she was promoted to the Editor of the magazine for the last three years.
Nova appoints Senior Publicist
NOVA Entertainment has announced the appointment of Cathrine Mahoney as Senior Publicist for Nova 96.9, with a dedicated focus on Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa breakfast show.
Cathrine has held key national Publicity and Promotions roles for Sony Music over a four and half year period and was Sport Communications Manager and Publicist for Channel Nine Sydney for several years. Most recently Cathrine was Head of Publicity for luxury fashion and bridal label Johanna Johnson, a role she held for over three and a half years.
Capitol Music Group gets Ashley Newton as President
Universal Music Group appointed former Columbia Records President Ashley Newton to the newly-created role of President of Capitol Music Group. He will also be Executive Vice President of Creative/Special Projects in music, television and film at Universal.
“Ashley is one of the most artist-friendly, committed and successful creative executives in music and a fierce proponent for taste and aesthetics,” says CMG chief Steve Barnett. Six years ago, when Barnett was co-Chairman/COO of Columbia, it was he who put Newton in the President role.
Newton blueprinted the successful campaigns for Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories album (which had its world premiere in the tiny NSW town of Wee Waa as part of its agricultural show and sold 3.2 million in 2014) and Pharrell Williams’ 13.9 million selling Happy, the biggest seller of 2014. He also helmed the careers of Adele, Haim and John Mayer.
SCA Appoints Digital Sales Manager
Zak Vidinovski has joined Southern Cross Austereo in the newly created role of National Digital Sales Manager. He has worked for some of Australia’s biggest digital publishers including Ninemsn, Fairfax and News Corp. Vidinovski said that the diversity of SCA’s business “provides endless possibilities to seamlessly weave solutions across these channels. The priority will be to accelerate the digital offering in data lead solutions, innovation and content for SCA with a key focus on continued growth, fuelled by new innovative commercial solutions for our clients. I am very excited to lead these initiatives and be part of a dedicated and charged digital team with SCA.”
Changes at Kobalt Label Services
After two years, Diarmuid Quinn quit as President of Kobalt Label Services North America. He is returning to artist management, including Josh Groban.
Kenney Shiu will run Kobalt’s publishing division in Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong, and reporting to Simon Moor, Managing Director of Kobalt Music Group, Australia.
Ron Cerrito joins Kobalt as LA-based GM of Kobalt Label Services, US. He worked in radio promotion and marketing for acts as Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction, Korn, Backstreet Boys and Five Finger Death Punch.
Kate Mac back at Nova Perth
Kate Mac returns to Perth, taking over Mornings at Nova 93.7 from Monday January 18. She worked at the station on the morning and afternoon shifts until 2012 before heading East with the network. She replaces Dave McClung who was promoted to Music Director and Assistant Program Director at the station.
Andrew Page helming news in Darwin
Andrew Page is new News Director of HOT 100 and MIX 104.9 in Darwin. He was previously news presenter at 4BC Brisbane and also worked at stations in the Snowy Mountains, Wagga Wagga and Muswellbrook.
Chris O’Brien joins Destroy All Lines
Chris O’Brien joined promoter Destroy All Lines as GM of Touring. He will oversee all tours alongside Daniel Misztal and Ash Hull. O’Brien is a 20-year vet of the biz, running a record label, punk clubs, a booking agency and a management firm. He oversaw the Soundwave from inception and serving as GM of Vans Warped Tour 2014 and Harvest Festival.
Greg Wood flows back to River
Greg Wood returns to River 949 Queensland doing the morning shift, replacing Aaron Stevens who has moved up to Rockhampton to fill the breakfast slot. Wood worked at River in 2013 for a year after he left as MD of Triple M Brisbane and before his latest job as Regional Content Manager for the ABC.
Two changes at KO FM
KO FM Newcastle gave Jeremy “JR” Ryan a morning show from January 18 while he continues to provide sports content for Breakfast with Tanya and Steve.
Nick Blanch takes over as drive host while also producing the Footy Call Team.
Bec Brown Communications expands to Melbourne
Sydney-based Bec Brown Communications has set up an office in Melbourne, under one-time Seven Network exec Sacha McDougal as Senior PR Manager. BBC’s main client is the Australian Radio Network, with other long-term clients including The Wiggles, Red Nose Day and Cover-More Travel Insurance.
Hanging Up The Microphone
* When Phil Halderman left commercial radio, he kept his hand in presenting jazz shows at North Sydney community station 2NSB. He has now retired.
* Perth breakfast radio champion Eoin Cameron is retiring at 65 following the ill-effects of a car accident in October 2013 which left him with three broken vertebrae. He expected to be off radio for two months but he says he’s in pain “all the time” and needs a walking stick to move around.
* After 22 years on the air, ABC Western Plains breakfast presenter Andrew Dunkley signed off and has left radio. He joined the ABC in May 1994, admitting it was a baptism of fire. Dunkley will move into a Dubbo-based marketing and fundraising position for the Salvation Army.
Live Nation’s Barton not joining SFX
Live Nation’s Head of Electronic Dance Music, James Barton, will not be joining global dance empire SFX Entertainment after all. The New York Post revealed the two were in talks, but apparently he wanted too much money, the paper said.
In the meantime, two rumours circulating SFX in recent weeks is that either it’s going to declare bankruptcy or be bought out by Live Nation.
Carissa Walford exiting [V]
Carissa Walford is leaving Channel [V] after five years to move to LA to pursue an international career, similar to Renee Bargh’s, who now hosts USA’s Extra TV. The 27-year-old daughter of a singer/drummer, Walford fronted bands and learned acting before scoring the [V] gig in 2011, working on The Riff and WTF.
Peter Verhoeven calls it a day
After 43 years in the radio industry, Peter Verhoeven has resigned as GM of Australian Radio Network’s Brisbane operations. He left on a high, with eight consecutive number ones through 2015 for 97.3. In 2010, Verhoeven was one of ARN’s GMs axed as part of a company restructure. But he returned a year later.
A2IM taps Richard James Burgess as CEO
Richard James Burgess is new CEO of New York-based US indie labels organisation A2IM. The one time business manager for non-profit Smithsonian Folkways Recordings was previously A2IM’s board chairman. The role is now held by Secretly Group co-founder Darius Van Arman. Hopeless Records head Louis Posen will fill Burgess’s seat on the board.
Chris Holland at Gold 104.3
Chris Holland is Music Director of Gold 104.3 Melbourne. He was previously MD and morning announcer at Sea FM Cairns.
Trevor Jackson exits 91.7
Trevor Jackson exits ABC 91.7 on the Gold Coast where he was Content Director and Music Director.
Greg Allan bows out of radio
After 13 years in radio, Greg Allan departed for a media adviser role for the ACT Government. He was most recently hosting Mix 106.3’s Canberra Drive Show.
Adrian Swift back at Nine
After 18 months as Head of Content at the ABC, one time The Voice producer Adrian Swift returns to the Nine Network. This time it is as Head of Content Production and Development, overseeing local production on the network’s various platforms.
New additions at Mumbrella
New staff additions at Mumbrella include editor and producer Suzan Ryan as Managing Editor – Production, Danika Porter from Beyond Distribution as Head of Marketing, and former The Australian and Ad News executive Simon Canning as Marketing & Advertising Editor. Nic Christensen moves into the expanded role of Media & Technology Editor. Steve Jones remains Chief Reporter but now in a freelance capacity.
Keating replaces Martin on The Voice
The fifth season of The Voice Australia sees former X Factor judge Ronan Keating replace Ricky Martin who will not return after three seasons as he is committed to a world tour. But Jessie J, Delta Goodrem and the Madden Bros return to the spinning chairs. Last year’s reboot, and Jessie J’s outspoken comments (which lead to clashes with, and walkouts by, Goodrem) saw healthy figures with 1.55 million tuning in for the grand final won by Ellie Drennan.
New appointments at SBS
New appointments at SBS are Chris Irvine of TV production Essential Media returning to SBS as its Head of Commercial & Production, and Samsung/ Quickflix’s David Gwynne joining as Channel Manager, SBS On Demand.
PBS’s Nick Brown moved to breakfast
Melbourne community station PBS 106.7FM moved Nick Brown from the 2 am indie program Lonely Stretch to co-host The Breakfast Spread with Cat McGauran from January 27.
George Ergatoudis at Spotify
George Ergatoudis joins Spotify in the newly created position of head of content programming for the UK. He was Head of Music for BBC Radio 1 for ten years.
Rob Tannion under the big top
Australian trained European based Rob Tannion takes over as Artistic Director of Circus Oz from April. Over the past ten years he has directed circus arts works in Spain, UK, Belgium, Australia, Mexico, Peru, Panama, Brazil and Colombia.
Cooking Vinyl digital chief goes solo
Cooking Vinyl’s high profile Head of Digital Sammy Andrews has left to focus on her own digital consultancy firm, Sabotage New Media, which was set up in 2008.