Musical Chairs: October 6

REMOTE CONTROL CLICKS MAJOR CHANGES

Remote Control Records has made some staff changes. After three years, Lorrae McKenna is leaving to return to artist management and setting up her own company.

Sweetie Zamora, who joined five years ago, is promoted to Head of Labels & Promotion. She will devise and drive strategies for all Remote Control releases, overseeing one cohesive plan, integrating publicity, marketing, physical sales and the digital platforms.

Sweetie Zamora

Vanja Bezbradica takes on the title of Digital Accounts Manager liaising with all key digital music services including Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and Pandora. After working as a Publicity Coordinator for two years, Georgia Cooke is now Melbourne based Promotions Lead.

Jill Stewart becomes Production & Licensing Manager with an expanded role in synch and third party licensing in Australian and through their partnership with the Beggars Group licensing team in the UK and USA.

Darren Lesaguis now takes on a full-time role as Sydney based Promotions Coordinator. Letecia Luty continues to provide the team with marketing and promotional support.

ALI DONNELLAN DEPARTS TRIPLE M, JOINS SGC MEDIA

After departing her role as Operations Manager at Triple M Brisbane last week, Ali Donnellan has joined Brisbane-based national music marketing company SGC Media.

SGC’s Managing Director Stephen Green has now taken on a new strategic marketing role, concentrating on industry partnerships and streaming promotions.

SGC Media’s clients include Sticky Fingers, Twelve Foot Ninja, Abbe May, Sheppard, BIGSOUND, Lime Cordiale, Cub Sport and MJR Touring, among others.

MICHAEL GRAHAM JOINS NOVA 106.9

Michael Graham has joined Nova 106.9 as Brisbane Commercial Director, leading and managing its sales and sales management team. Nova Entertainment said the new role has been created to build on and further strengthen Nova 106.9’s commercial credentials in what has arguably become the network’s most competitive market. Graham was most recently leading the ARN Sydney team and was Sales Director of ARN Brisbane before that.

He will work alongside Brisbane Sales Director Kat Frost who recently returned from maternity leave.

GLEN KYNE CONFIRMED AS MEDIAWORKS COO

MediaWorks confirmed Glen Kyne as Chief Commercial Officer, working across its radio, television and digital platforms and brands. He will oversee a 160-strong team of sales, integration, and sales engagement staff. His roles at the New Zealand company included heading the new ventures and integration divisions.

COREY LAYTON JOINS WHOOSHKAA

Radio executive Corey Layton has joined the expanding Whooshkaa Australian podcast as Director of Content and Marketing. He will oversee its move into, and production of, brand-oriented, content-rich podcasts and integrated commercials. Layton has delivered integrated content-led concepts for clients at Ensemble, Southern Cross Austereo, Nova and Global Radio in the UK.

Whooshkaa founder Rob Loewenthal says Layton’s arrival coincides with the success of its first audio content creation, hosting Fairfax’s first investigative series Phoebe’s Fall.

PANDORA POACHES LINKEDIN EXEC

Ahead of the launch of its subscription services, Pandora this week brought in Nick Bartle as Chief Marketing Officer to “bring Pandora’s next chapter to life through compelling marketing and communications as the company gives listeners the most personal music experience in the world”. He was previously VP of Member Marketing and Communications at LinkedIn for the past year.

TANYA & STEVE EXTEND AT KOFM

Tanya Wilks and Steve Graham, who have been hosting KOFM Newcastle’s top rating breakfast show since 2014, have extended their contract for a further four years. Their show has a leading 19.4% market share. EP Nicole Levey and anchor Ryan Stuart remain by their side into the New Year.

FORMER BRIT CABINET MINISTER HEADS BBC RADIO

Former British Cabinet member James Purnell is the new BBC Director of Radio and Education. The newly created division will see him responsible for its radio output alongside its arts, music, learning and children’s departments. He served as Labour Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2007 to 2008, after which he quit politics and joined the BBC as Head of Corporate Planning. In his new role, he remains at his existing salary of £295,000. His radio chief predecessor Helen Boaden retired from the BBC after 34 years of service and leaves on October 31.

NEW HIRE AT EON SPORTS

New sports radio network Eon Sports Radio has a new Broadcast Engineer, Darren McKenzie. He was Technical Manager at Australian Open Radio and also at 2GB Sydney. Glenn Wheatley, who helped bring FM radio to Australia years back, launched the new network in July.

PERTH STADIUM NAMES MIKE McKENNA AS CEO

One of Australia’s most respected sports administrators Mike McKenna takes over on November 28 as the first CEO of the new 60,000 seat Perth Stadium. The $1.2 billion sports and entertainment venue opens in 2018 and run by VenueLive.

McKenna has worked at Cricket Australia since 2005 and currently Executive General Manager of Operations. Before that he worked in commercial operations at the Essendon Football Club in Melbourne. He has already rejected calls for the stadium to open six months earlier, saying it has to be well and truly ready or it would face the same problems that Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium had.

He said, “I am very excited about the opportunity ahead, helping to deliver one of the world’s great stadiums. Working with the WA Government, footy clubs, cricket and other sporting codes, the plan is to deliver the best sporting and entertainment experiences for the people of Perth, WA and Australia.”

TUCKER AT SEA FM HOBART

Mason Tucker is new morning announcer at Sea FM Hobart and also show producer for Paul & Woody.

TOM JONES BACK AT THE VOICE UK

Tom Jones is back as judge of The Voice UK, now that it is being made by the commercial ITV network from 2017. He was on the judging panel when it was with the BBC, and famously told the broadcaster to “go and fuck yourself” after they dumped him for Boy George. Jones joins Black Eyed Pea co-founder Will.i.am along with new coaches Gavin Rossdale of Bush and singer and actress Jennifer Hudson.

JAMES VALENTINE LAUNCHES HEAD ROOM

Musician and 702 ABC Sydney’s Afternoons presenter James Valentine hosts new podcast Head Room. Subtitled “the tonic for modern life”, it explores what he says are the deeper questions of life. Who are we? Why do we do what we do? What’s the correct way to pronounce the eighth letter of the alphabet? What are the most squirmy words? When you buy a cookbook, what are you really buying?

NEW SHOW FOR DUNLEAVY

Long time Melbourne radio identity Dee Dee Dunleavy looks at the latest in news, music, TV, retail and food in her new show Trending on 3AW 693. It kicks off on October 7 and runs on Fridays 8-10 pm.

NEW BUSINESS DIRECTOR FOR THRIVE PR

Thrive PR + Communications, one of the biggest independent PR firms in ANZ, brought in Michelle Richings as National Business Director to expand the business in both countries.

PHILIP CLARK STEPS IN FOR DELROY

ABC Canberra’s top-rating breakfast radio host Philip Clark has quit the show after two years but stays within the broadcaster. The Canberra Times reports he is stepping in from October 28 for former national ABC Local Radio program Nightlife host Tony Delroy for the rest of 2016. The ABC has not confirmed if it is a permanent role but plans to make an announcement in November. Delroy retired last month after hosting for 24 years. Dominic Knight of The Chaser was filling in.

HANNA, OLIVER, BEGIN AT ABC

ABC-TV’s factual team expands this month with two new Commissioning Editors. Julia Hannah joins on October 24 from Keo Films Australia where she was Executive Producer of Bullied for the ABC. Independent writer, director and producer Stephen Oliver comes on board on October 10 after recently delivering a documentary series to the network.

CO-CEOS FOR AEG LIVE UK

After six months of rumours, Toby Leighton Pope and Steve Homer are appointed as co-CEOs of AEG Live UK. Both were at the rival Live Nation as Senior Vice Presidents. Homer began the Wireless Festival and Pope booked London’s Hard Rock Calling festival. In their new role, they’ll be immediately working with Justin Bieber, Rod Stewart, The Who and Shawn Mendes, the two London venues the Eventim Apollo and Indigo at The O2 and London’s Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time.