DMG Radio becomes Nova Entertainment

DMG Radio Australia has changed its name to Nova Entertainment, putting the brand name which launched the company on-air in 2001 on the door.

The old moniker is now “irrelevant to the kind of business we are and aspire to be”, marketing director Tony Thomas told B&T.

“We are broader than just a radio business,” Thomas said.

The change also indicates the company’s commitment to diversify its revenue stream into the broader media and entertainment space.

“Whilst we can’t say what type of businesses will be brought into the fold we are always looking at adjacent businesses and revenue streams under the entertainment banner and under our vision of entertaining audiences everywhere,” Thomas said.

The company already includes live events with Nova’s Red Room, a subscription TV channel with Foxtel for the smoothfm brand, its joint venture with US based music streaming service Rdio and a branded radio station called Coles Radio.

Ditching the old ‘DMG Radio Australia’ badge also brings it in line with current ownership, with Lachlan Murdoch taking full ownership of the media company from DMGT in September 2012.

Thomas said the new name was like a bow or wrapping paper around “some serious hard work over the past three years” with the Nova Network now the No 1FM network in Australia.

“It does run quite deep in our business that the original Nova launch brand…now has its name on the door and there is a pride and heritage associated with that that I think everyone in our company can relate to.

“It is an important stage in our business culturally and it also allows us to project a really confident, positive, progressive image in the market that is understood.”

In the statement announcing the new name Murdoch said: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved as dmg Radio. The business has grown significantly and how holds dominant position in the media channels it operates in. The change to Nova Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter for our business as we continue to broaden our entertainment offering outside of our radio business.”

Chief executive Cathy O’Connor added: “Four years ago we set a strategy to revitalise the business, reposition the Nova brand and launch smoothfm and also look for ways to leverage our brands, content, audience and expertise in new areas. We have delivers strong growth from this plan and the Nova Entertainment name better reflects the company that we have become.”

See Nova Entertainment's new sizzle reel here.

CORPORATE TIME LINE

1996 UK company DMGT and purchases its first radio station FIVEaa (Adelaide)

May 2000 dmg Radio acquires first metro radio station license

April 2001 Nova 96.9 Sydney launches

December 2001 Nova 100 Melbourne launches

December 2002 Nova 93.7 Perth launches

March 2004 Star 104.5 Gosford launches

August 2004 Nova 919 Adelaide launches

June – Oct 2004 dmg Radio wins two new licenses

August 2005 vega 95.3 Sydney launches

September 2005 vega 91.5 Melbourne launches

April 2005 Nova 106.9 Brisbane Launches

April 2009 Digital radio launches – Koffee and NovaNation

November 2009 Lachlan Murdoch’s investment company Illyria acquires 50% stake from DMGT

March 2010 vega radio stations become Classic Rock

May 2012 smoothfm launches in Sydney and Melbourne (Click here for more)

September 2012 Illyria purchases remaining 50% of dmg Radio to become sole owner (Click here for more)

August 2012 dmg Radio announces 50/50 joint venture with Rdio (Australia) (See B&T's report: DMG Partners with streaming service Rdio)

February 2013 smoothfm launches on DAB+

December 2013 SMOOTH launches on Foxtel (See 'Smoothfm moves to TV')

December 2013 Coles Radio launches on DAB+ and in store

February 2014 dmg Radio becomes Nova Entertainment (Click here for more details)

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