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Nine Radio’s Tom Malone on Alan Jones, the importance of localism and the 2020 content lineup
Since Nine took ownership of Macquarie Media in 2019 there’s been a raft of changes pushed out across the media business. Mumbrella’s Hannah Blackiston spoke with managing director Tom Malone to find out why these changes were necessary and whether there are more to come.
He’s only had his feet under the desk for a couple of months, but Nine’s newly-appointed managing director of its radio assets, Tom Malone, is very confident in what makes 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR great.
“You always need to listen to your audience and we do that better than anyone, that’s why people like Alan Jones and Ross and John have been number one for thirty years, because we’re very good at listening to our audience. We’ll always listen to them,” Malone told Mumbrella.
Tom Malone at 3AW studio in Docklands. 6 November 2009. The Age News. Photo: Eddie Jim.
Malone is responding to the raft of changes made across the Nine Radio business since the Australian media giant took ownership of the radio assets formerly known as Macquarie Media.
A brief history of Nine Radio
Nine completed its takeover in November 2019. Before that, Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang left the business. Immediately after Lang’s exit, Macquarie Sports Radio’s talk content was paused amid a content review. Next, 3AW boss Stephen Beers was out, although not for long. He returned a month later.
Alan Jones was also put on content review, although this happened before Nine’s takeover bid was confirmed. Malone’s appointment came next, then EP Michael Thompson left, Sky News’ Greg Byrnes entered, commercial boss Mark Noakes left and he was followed by Ross Greenwood.
John Burns announced 2020 would be his last year with 3AW, Denis Walter was moved to Nights, Steve Price was out, Deb Knight was in, Brooke Corte replaced Greenwood and Penny Kaleta was brought in from ACM to be the new sales head.
Chris Smith came back, after leaving under Lang’s management, Dee Dee Dunleavy came in for Afternoons on 3AW, overnight programming was syndicated, Paul B Kidd partnered up with John Stanley and, finally, Macquarie Sports Radio was replaced, with a return to historic music formats.
Deb Knight has found a new home after Today, on 2GB and 4BC
In between all that, the entire business rebranded to Nine Radio, new news and sports coverage was brought in under the Nine News and Wide World of Sport branding and Nine CEO Hugh Marks admitted Jones’ controversial comments about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hurt the company’s bottom line. But more on that later.
You’d be forgiven for quick-scrolling through all that. It’s a lot of changes in a very short time, some of them minor, a lot of them major, as Nine sought to make the changes that were needed in the business, says Malone.
Starting 2020 afresh
“While it probably seemed like a lot of changes, some of them were in the wings waiting to happen anyway, and we were able to come in and act pretty quickly on some things to make sure that when we started the year in 2020 everyone knew what the lineup was and we could focus on getting those programs up and running and then focus on the business side of radio,” he says.
On the subject of the newest changes, the end of Macquarie Sports Radio, Malone says it was a ‘pretty easy decision’.
“You only need to look back at the success of Magic and 4BH a few years ago when they were both running a music format to see that this was a pretty easy decision. We’ve identified a gap in the market, which is the best of the 70s, 80s and 90s, filling a gap between the easy listening format which is at the older end of the scale and Classic Hits which is a bit younger.
“It will be a great music format for our audience.”
Not just a great decision for the audience, Malone adds, but commercially, a good choice for Nine too. An efficient music channel costs a lot less than a talk one, especially a talk one with flagging ratings.
Nine Radio’s new commitment to music
Alan Jones and the bottom line
I couldn’t let Malone go without a chance to ask about Jones. A rare chink in the Nine armour was shown in 2019 when Marks admitted the advertiser boycott had hurt 2GB, and therefore Nine Radio. But talk radio is a notably inflammatory environment. Jones himself is no stranger to defamation suits, and he isn’t the only one. How can a major media business like Nine guarantee advertisers a brand safe environment, but still allow Sydney’s number one breakfast show to go on unfettered by pesky editorial guidelines?
It turns out you don’t. Nine’s dedication to its advertisers is such that Malone promises me the business has done significant work over the last few months to ensure brands can be confident putting their money into these environments.
“We’ve taken pretty big steps to make sure we’re a brand safe environment for advertisers this year. We’ve worked over the past couple of months to review and strengthen our editorial policy and its compliance with the CRA code of practice and the guidelines on our licensing conditions and the broadcast servicing standards and all those sorts of things, the laws governing defamation and suppression – we’ve done all of those things.
“We’ve had constant communication with all of our on-air presenters to make sure they’re aware of those expectations and that’s something that we’ll continue to do going forward as well, so I’m pretty confident with what we’ve done in the last couple of months that advertisers can be really confident that we’re a great and effective place for them to advertise.”
Time will tell if Jones can be beholden to those standards, but for now it seems the groundwork has been put in place to ensure a boycott like the one we saw in 2019 won’t happen again.
The future of Nine Radio
Also on the commercial front, Malone tells me the sales teams in each city have begun to come together, with Sydney’s radio sales team moving into Nine’s Australia Square offices just this week, Brisbane and Perth planned for early February and Melbourne soon after, meaning Nine is ready to start taking its combined offering to market. So far, the response has been a good one.
“We’ll start to see more combined sales approaches, but already clients are speaking to us and seeing the sense in things we’re doing, like the WWOS brand extending from television to radio. It’s early days but the signs are already very promising around how we engage with advertisers.”
While the nature of media is to always be in flux, Malone is confident with the lineup currently on offer from Nine Radio. He concedes that more changes may be needed in the business in the future, but for now, the main focus is on the locally-focused radio consumers know and love.
“The focus for Nine Radio is to empower and strengthen those local brands in each market. That’s the power of radio, it’s an extremely local, intimate, and engaging medium and that’s why it’s such a great medium for advertisers. The most engaged audience you’ll find is on radio.”
As a regular listener to 2GB, I find the station has lost its way.
Lossing Steve Price was a big mistake. Deb Knight is a sweet person but lacks emotion and passion, she is too nice.
Bring back backbone to the station, with people who have compassion and not afraid to speak the truth. Though it might not be political correct.
2 GB is boring now.
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Why have you destroyed a successful programme like George and Paul bringing back Chris Smith. He is narccisistic. Jobs for the boys and his partener. Last weekend I changed channels, the first time in many years and I won’t be returning while he is there.
Regards
Carol Roberts
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Alan Jones is ny number one, always listen to Alan he is Great very knowledgeable and bright.
Welcome back to Chris Smith he put a very entertaining program.
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HOP[E NUINE RADIO SIGNS DYLAN BUCKLEY TO 3AW TO REPLACE JOHN BURNS JHE DOES A SEGMENTON 3AW DRUVE TEACHUBG 3AW’ LISTENERSHIP ABUT WHNATY HAPPENS IN HIS GEBNERATION.
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I Heart Jason Andrew Toppin Comments
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2GB has lost the plot. The return of Alan Jones cannot come sooner.
After Jones’ show the station goes down hill. Ray Hadley is overrated and arrogant. Deb Knight is fluffy and light weight. Ben Fordham is VERY light weight. The night show is too bad to be true. Stanley’s replacement during the Summer was outstanding and should replace Stanley full time.
I don’t like being critical but the station is going down the drain. I cannot imagine where it will end up after Jones retires.
Ernst
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Alan Jones listens to his audience as long as they agree with him and he basically doesn’t let you on if isn’t something he likes or he just talks over them
Also when is he going to stop bullshiting that he’s audience is a couple of million
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I’ve been trying to find out about the soft launch time on February 2 At 2UE but can’t seem to get any information from Nine Entertainment. Does anybody know, thanks.
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“We’ve identified a gap in the market, which is the best of the 70s, 80s and 90s”
“Fleetwood, Blondie, Chisel, Elton, ABBA, Robbie, Morrison, INXS, Roxette…”
……Does this bloke actually listen to the radio? Is this meant to be a unique playlist that I’m going to switch stations for?
I don’t work in this industry, so can someone please explain why all these radio executives seem to think the best way to innovate.. is just to rehash the same tired concepts and generic playlists over and over?
Why don’t they ever have the guts to try something truly different?
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I will stick with Alan Jones look Ray Hadley is so hit and miss and should be open to other people’s opinions sometimes he might as well talk to himself in other words Loosen Up
As for the others well time will tell as I listen to your station my views are echoed by my friends
Regards. Rob
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Gee.Those people who are saying that 2GB has lost it’s way…you have not been listening to 2UE in recent years!!!!
Lets hope Nine can steady the ship as far as 2UE is concerned.
Bringing back the iconic name is one thing ,a good thing but if the market sees it as a poor imitation of the “original and authentic” 2UE then forget it.Some of the old jingles and the like would be good rather than a bland network approach.
The ratings will jump but for how long will be the big question!
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Nine radio will have a good year. 2UE, 4BH, Magic will do far better in the ratings that Macquarie Sports Radio and will provide a higher revenue stream and be a strong competitor to Smooth & WS/Gold/4KQ. In the future, Nine radio could roll out even more national (Syd, Mel, Bris, Per) music formats to monetise more of their digital radio spectrum.
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