Musical Chairs: SCA hires PR Director; New CEO for ACE Radio; Canadian Music Week lands Rick Fenton; Ash Bradnam returns to Nova; triple j addition

SCA appoints Heidi Virtue as national public relations director

Heidi Virtue is new national public relations director for Southern Cross Austereo. She will be based in Sydney, but will visit Melbourne weekly. Virtue held senior PR positions at 2UE, Nine Network and designer Collette Dinnigan. She was also consultant for Foxtel for shows as Australia’s Next Top Model (for which she was talent producer for its ninth season) and the ASTRAs.

New CEO for ACE Radio Broadcasters

ACE Radio Broadcasters’ new CEO is Mark Taylor. He’ll join on October 12, working with current CEO Stephen Everett who officially retires in February after 21 years with the firm. ACE Radio’s Chairman Rowland Paterson commended Everett for “developing a financially strong company with a culture that many other media companies are envious of. Stephen's commitment to the company has been tremendous and his support and advice to many individual staff members has been greatly appreciated over many years.”

Canadian Music Week lands Rick Fenton

Canadian Music Week, an increasingly important destination for Australian musicians and executives, appointed Rick Fenton VP of Business Development. Starting out as a musician in the ‘70s, Fenton ran the Winnipeg Folk Festival for four years before heading to TV. Of late, he’s held exec positions in Canadian trade associations and events as Western Canadian Music Alliance, BreakOut West Festival, the Western Canadian Music Awards and MusicOntario.

Maggie Collins to join BIGSOUND in 2016

QMusic announced that Maggie Collins will join the BIGSOUND programming team for 2016. She will work alongside Executive Programmer Nick O’Byrne. Collins is a triple j radio presenter, and co-owner of Fans Creative Management which handles DZ Deathrays, John Steel Singers and The Creases.

Ash Bradnam returns to Nova

After being suspended in May over a drink driving charge, Ash Bradnam was back on air on Nova 106.9 Brisbane this week. The company said: “Over the past three months we have been working closely with Ash, his family and physicians to battle his ongoing addiction.”

Stan's head of marketing departs

SVOD Stan's Head of Marketing, Fiona King, has left. She joined from Fox Filmed Entertainment where she was Head of New Release Marketing.

Brian Lane sets up United Stage International

Brian Lane, best known in Australia as an artist manager – of Yes, A-ha, Katherine Jenkins, Asia, Rick Wakeman, Vangelis, Buggles, It Bites, The A*Teens and Heather Small – now heads United Stage International. It is the global offshoot of Sweden’s biggest booking agency United Stage Artists. Based in London, he will expand the careers of acts as Vigiland and Ace Wilder.

New Director of artsACT, Events ACT, to be announced

The new Director of artsACT and Events ACT will be announced in a few weeks. The position has been vacant since July when David Whitney retired. Manager of Arts Policy Sam Tyler stepped into the role in an acting capacity until next month. The Director of artsACT and Events ACT provides high-level advice and support to the Minister of Economic Development, the Minister of the Arts and the Director-General of Economic Development within Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate on Strategic policy development, program and project delivery of the arts and major events in the ACT.

triple jaddition

Ruby Jones took over as triple j’s breakfast news reporter. She was previously based in Darwin working as a journalist.

Ill-health affects Mix 94.5’s Shane McFarlane

Shane McFarlane, who co-hosted the top rating breakfast show of Mix 94.5 Perth’s with Kymba Cahill and Dean Clairs, is on long service due to ill-health. SCA GM Linda Wayman explained that some weeks ago an exhausted McFarlane was in hospital. “We understand tests showed his pituitary gland was not functioning properly.”

New board member for Australia Council

Journalist Rebecca Weisser, former Opinion editor of The Australian, is appointed to the arts funding body for three years. National Arts Minister George Brandis acknowledged Weisser’s strong interest in travel and languages, and her long media and diplomatic career, for the appointment.

Executive changes at Live Nation International

Live Nation UK’s long serving COO John Probyn left to manage operations with Birmingham event The Sports Show. Joining the promoter in 2001, Probyn infamously cut short Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney when the Boss’ Hyde Park show ran over time in 2012 – the same year he was got the Lifetime Achievement gong at the UK Festival Awards.

Carrie Davis is Live Nation’s new Chief Communications Officer, based in LA. She was heading communications at Disney, starting out doing PR for record labels and working with Aaliyah, Timbaland, De La Soul and OutKast.

Debbie Bye exits Life FM

After stepping down as CEO at Life FM Gippsland in July citing exhaustion, Debbie Bye left the station completely this month. She joined Life FM from the ABC where she was Regional Manager.

New York music therapist joins RMTC

New Zealand’s Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre appointedJennifer Ryckaert as Clinical Development Manager. She was working in musical therapy in New York and decided to move to NZ after visiting in February. In the US she ran her own studio specialising in piano instruction for people with special needs including those who require Braille instruction.

New marketing, content, heads for Merivale

Sydney-based nightclub and hospitality firm Merivale promoted Andrew El-Bayeh to Marketing Director. He joined in 2011 from Keystone Group and Palace Group as Group Venue Marketing Manager, overseeing integrated brand campaigns and new venue openings.

It has also created a new division within the marketing department and appointed Sarah Ranawake as Head of Content. She held editorial positions at Sporteluxe.com, Cleo, InStyle and Vacations & Travel Magazine.

New CEO for Imagem Music US

Music publisher Imagem Music Group US has a new CEO, Bill Gaden, promoted from COO during which he signed up Daft Punk and Mark Ronson. In the Creative Services division, Steve King is new VP and Isabel Arisso new GM.

Jane Reilly farewelling FIVEaa

After three years of co-hosting breakfast with David Penberthy and Mark Aiston, Jane Reilly will depart FIVEaa Adelaide at the end of the year to spend more time with family. This year she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to broadcast media and charity groups.

Brian Carlton launches talk show

Brian Carlton anchors a new talk show Tasmania Talks across Grant Broadcasters’ LAFM Launceston, 7BU Burnie, 7AD Devonport, 7SD Scottsdale and 7XS Queenstown. It runs 9 am to midday. In the ‘90s he had a cult following as Spoonman at Triple M.

Josh Rich joins Junkee Media

Former Red Bull Head of Brand Marketing Josh Rich joins youth publisher Junkee Media as GM of Junkee Studio. He will lead its native ad offering in a dedicated division set up last October.

Locco abandons retirement

After 12 years if hosting breakfast at 4CA FM Cairns, Mike ‘Locco’ O’Loughlin retired and headed to a farm in Victoria in 2012. That lasted all of three years. He’s now doing the breakfast shift on 2SR FM Goulburn Valley.

Drummond helms GQ

Matthew Drummond is new Editor of men’s magazine GQ which also covers entertainment and technology. He was at the Australian Financial Review, Editor of AFR Weekend.