DMG hires Paul Jackson, one of UK’s biggest radio names, as programming boss
DMG Radio – owner of the Nova and Classic Rock radio networks – has hired one of the UK’s best known radio executives as its new group programme director.
Paul Jackson, who has held some of the biggest radio roles in the competitive British market including Capital Radio and what was then Virgin Radio, will take over from Dean Buchanan whose departure was announced yesterday.
Jackson is currently Global Radio’s group programme director where he oversees 95.8 Capital FM, The Hit Music Network and indie-focused The XFM Network.
Capital Radio is the UK’s oldest commercial radio station and the job is arguably the most important programming role in British commercial radio.
Before that Jackson was head of programming and for a while chief exec at rock station Virgin Radio which has since been rebranded as Absolute Radio.
DMG CEO Cathy O’Connor said: “Paul Jackson is a high calibre executive who brings both significant experience and strong creativity to this important role. It’s exciting to bring a fresh set of eyes and ears to the programming table at DMG. Paul inherits a team of exceptional programmers and presenters who are ready for his strong leadership and who are as passionate about creativity and success as he is.”
DMG is still half owned by the UK-based Daily Mail & General Trust, while Lachlan Murdoch now owns the other half.
Jackson will start the role in November.
Dan Bradley, assistant group programme director, will oversee day-to-day programming in the meantime. Nova 100 programme director, Todd Campbell, will also take on additional online responsibilities.
Whenever I visit London I LOVE listening to Capital FM. It is a radio station with real energy and a genuine feel for the city it broadcasts in.
Sydney radio may have just received a shot of adrenaline.
Exciting!
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geez that was quick!! Didnt Dean Buchanan only announce his “resignation” yesterday?? Something more was going on there me thinks….
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Do all English men look like Hugh Grant?
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Yes. Yes we do…
Does DMG think we’re all stupid?
DMG PR people should have just come out with all the info yesterday and made it one big annoucement – so lame!
to Nick: Sydney Radio is doing well – its DMG that needs the DOUBLE shot of adrenaline!!!!!
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Hi Anon,
I don’t reckon Sydney radio is doing that well.
2UE is trying something a little different – balanced talkback on commercial radio. 2CH has music I don’t like but no one else matches it. Look at the other stations:
WS, MMM, Old Rock Songs 95.3 – all sound very similar (there playlists must be 60% the same). 95.3 does not even bother with announcers, instead they hire 16 years olds to read traffic reports. Quick play Midnight Oil again.
Nova, 2Day, MIX – playlists are 70% the same. Girl – boy breakie teams, forced laughter, quick play Katie Perry again.
2GB: At least Alan Jones’ hatred of the Labour Party is truly funny at breakfast. No forced laughter needed here. Hillarious but the same as it was ten years ago.
No wonder iPods are popular.
6 commercial FMers and two formats. . Sounds Different? Sounds SImilar. The immitators not the innovators……………………………….
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I’m a Vic resident and Nick, I must agree, that it’s not a whoel lot different here! Be interesting to see what new blood brings though as always.
Go the J’s. I also love that the songs they play get touted by the commercial stations as “new music” 6 months later *cough* NOVA *cough*.
And a bit of SYN….it’s train wreck radio at times but it’s got some solid gold to it!
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How does a kiwi have a successful small business? Give him a large business and wait 2 years. That’s exactly what happened with DMG. Running money into the dirt with half baked marketing, programming and wasted resources on talentless fools! They knocked back Hamish and Andy before Austereo took them on. Whoops. They are the only talent on the FM band currently.
I think we can see through it pretty easily. This calculative approach of an amicable resign from Dean, 2 days later the announcement was made of a replacement. (Edited by Mumbrella for lergal reasons) That’s as simple as that. The sugar coating radio network award goes to…….
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the above comments are alleged of course!
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Radio is like sport , everyone has an opinion an more often than not it’s emotionally charged. From a pure numbers perspective, DMG has been unremarkable in it’s performance for some time. Apart from the initial launch which generated much enthusiasm (why wouldn’t it with virtually no adds and the first new commercial station in over 20 years) the programming has been a disaster. Vega failed to make a splash and Nova is just getting further and further behind with this delusion that they are different. It’s remarkable that it’s taken this long for a changing of the guard. I look forward to a much needed new point of view.
(declaration. Max Collodi is one of Australia’s senior programming consultants)
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Declaration: Max Collodi talks about himself in the third person.
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