Musical Chairs: September 28

Image: Kirsty Bloore, Simon Bates,Amy Hetherington

VIACOM APPOINTS BATES, BLOORE, TO ASIA-PACIFIC ROLES

Two Sydney-based Viacom executives have landed roles in the Asia Pacific, effective October 1.

Simon Bates, Vice President of MTV, Comedy Central & Spike brands for Australia and New Zealand, is appointed Vice President, Head of MTV Asia Pacific, and Comedy Central and Spike for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

At MTV, Bates oversaw a busy year of portfolio expansion with the launch of Comedy Central online, and the premieres of Comedy Central and Spike on Fetch TV. He was credited with the development of hit social-series #MTVItGirls and the localisation of UK-developed Club MTV and MTV Brand New.

Kirsty Bloore, Research Director for ANZ, is promoted to Senior Director, Research for Asia Pacific.

JOE CALITRI APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER AT RED BULL RECORDS

Joe Calitri will oversee Red Bull Records both domestically as well as worldwide.Read the full story here.

ADRIAN STRAIN TO STEP DOWN AT IFPI

IFPI, representing the international recording industry, announced that Adrian Strain is to step down as global director of communications at the end of this year to set up a consultancy practice working in and outside the music industry. Strain, who worked at IFPI for 21 years, worked closely with the Australian music media as TMN on IFPI releases.

AMY HETHERINGTON EXITING MUSICNT

Darwin-based MusicNT’s Marketing and Communications Officer Amy Hetherington is leaving on October 6 after almost four years. She has decided to focus on her small business, Amiable Communications, and has gone into artist management. MusicNT is scouting for a replacement, email Mark Smith at manager@musicnt.com.au for a job description.

ARN APPOINTS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR – MELB

Australian Radio Network appointed Peter Whitehead to the newly created role of Commercial Director – Melbourne, effective November 7. He has worked in media sales for 20 years, 14 of them at Southern Cross Austereo where his various roles included five years as Melbourne Sales Director. Whitehead joins ARN following five years with oOh! Media – the last three years as National Sales Director.

SCA TAPS CHRIS LEDLIN FOR SOCIAL MEDIA…

Southern Cross Austereo hired Chris Ledlin as Social Media Director. He joins from Twitter Australia, joining in 2013 to help begin its Entertainment, TV & News Partnerships division. He worked with the SCA team as part of that role, Ledlin also worked at Twitter at its Tokyo, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York offices, working on projects across music/entertainment and lifestyle.

…WHILE MATTY ACTON RETURNING

Matty Acton will leave Australian Radio Network after two years to return to SCA. He begins at the Hit Network in early 2017 joining the Hit105 Breakfast Show in Brisbane with Stav, Abby & Osher.

LABEL EXEC JOINS APPLE MUSIC

Former Epic and RCA A&R and marketing vet Scott Seviour has joined Apple Music’s content team. Given his label background as well as in television (as a music producer for Discovery Channel nature show Hello World!), there is curiosity about what specific role he has at the streaming service. Aside from landing major record release exclusives, Apple Music has also bankrolled music videos (Drake’s Hotline Bling) and Frank Ocean’s visual Endless, and has a series based on Carpool Karaoke and a Cash Money Records documentary in the pipeline.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR AIM

London-based AIM (Association of Independent Music) has added four new members to its board. They are Achal Dhillon (Killing Moon), Frederick Jude (Snapper Music), James Endeacott (1965 Records) and Jane Third (Because Music). AIM will lobby for tax breaks for A&R investment.

WAYNE TOWIE GM AT SHOOTERS

Wayne Towie is GM of the three-venue Shooters Superclub on the Gold Coast, which opened its doors on the weekend. Towie said that with lockouts and a trend by Coast patrons to go out early, there was less dancing and more social activity as a result. As a result, the club also has televised sport games, a tapas bar and Xbox consoles. Shooters abruptly shut its doors in June but previous owner John Hussey is not involved with the new European based operators.

TOM DOOLEY PLUGGING OUT OF VIACOM

Viacom’s interim CEO Tom Dooley is leaving the company in mid-November. It comes in the wake of the oust of Chairman Philippe Dauman. Controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone and daughter Shari Redstone are working with the board to address some of Viacom’s challenges which include falling ratings and revenue. It will not follow Dauman’s plans to sell its minority stake in Paramount Pictures, which has had a number of flops.

NEW SM FOR PULSE

Illawarra, NSW’s Christian music station Pulse 94.1 has a new Station Manager, Aaron Wright. He replaces Josh Reid who moved on after eight years.

NEW DIRECTOR FOR ARTS TASMANIA

The Tasmanian Government appointed David Sudmalis as the Director of Arts Tasmania. He comes from long experience working in arts policy, strategy and analysis with over 10 years at the Australia Council for the Arts in Sydney.

Sudmalis also ran the Australia Council’s Artist in Residence program, and has worked in community arts and cultural development, emerging and experimental arts, youth arts, young and emerging artist development and arts education.

NEW ADDITIONS AT POWER FM

Crystal Vas has a new breakfast co-host. Brad Blissett, former 91.9 Sea FM Sunshine Coast breakfast presenter and more recently a primary school teacher, joins her for Power FM’s Crystal & Brad In The Morning show covering Bega and Batemans Bay.

Former co-host Chris Naim moved on to sister station 2EC as drive announcer and Music Director. Naim and Vas are up for a 2016 ACRA, for Best On-Air Team – Country.

The Grant Broadcasters-owned Power FM also hired Kim Bowden from Move FM Lithgow to present the 10am – 2 pm show and do copywriting.

KEN DWYER JOINS HILLS BOARD

Ken Dwyer has joined the board of Adelaide-based audio visual and home security firm Hills Ltd. Dwyer is former head of Audio Products Group, which Hills acquired two years ago. He found a chain of specialist home entertainment stores and a major audio products distribution business operating across Australia and New Zealand.

REBRANDED MEGA ANNOUNCES CHANGES

A joint venture between The Mega Agency and photo agency Snapper Media sees the latter’s news and entertainment division take on the Mega name. Mega is launching with offices in the US, UK, Europe and Australia.

Snapper’s Naomi Roe is Head of Sales for Mega in Australia while Natalie Joyce comes from the Daily Mail Online as a Photo Editor and Licensing Agent.

GEOFF FIELD BACK ON SYDNEY RADIO

After a year of travelling, former 2DAY FM newsreader Geoff Field begins this week in the newsroom of the Super Radio Network. He’ll be working from the Sydney offices of 2SM and his content will be syndicated.

ABC-TV ANNOUNCES HEAD OF INDIGENOUS

ABC-TV’s new Head of Indigenous, award-winning filmmaker and Development executive, Kelrick Martin, began this week in his new role. He was previously Indigenous Manager at Screenwest and was previously Commissioning Editor for NITV after starting 20 years in WA’s indigenous media sector.

WILTSHIRE BEGINS AT MEDIAWORKS

Peter Wiltshire has begun his new role as consultant for New Zealand’s radio and TV company MediaWorks. He was formerly Head of Sales and Marketing at Nine Network in Australia, and remains based in Sydney.

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR PPL

UK music licensing company PPL has hired former BPI senior executive Lynne McDowell to take over the newly created role of Head of Communications, effective October 10. She will take the lead on the implementation of PPL’s communications and marketing strategy, ahead of its joint venture on public performance licensing with PRS in 2017.

FINCH MOVES TO 2CC/2CA

Dylan Finch is new Audio Producer and Panel Operator at Capital Radio 2CC/2CA.

WAVE FM LOSES BREKKIE HOST

Wave FM Wollongong’s breakfast host Jade Papreach confirmed on her Facebook page she has left after 10 years.

BRAD WOOD ENDS SEA FM RUN

Brad Wood has left Sea FM NSW Central Coast, where he hosted the afternoon shift. He told listeners Nic Kelly will step in for the next three weeks .

TONY BRODERICK EXITS TWITTER

Twitter Australia’s Head of Partnerships, News and Television, Tony Broderick, is departing the social media company to join communications and production firm Breakthrough Media as its Creative Director. He joined in December 2013 from Fremantle Media Australia where he was in charge of social media content and engagement for shows including The X Factor and Australia’s Got Talent.