Blyton Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, entertainment, hospitality, service |
| Founder | Kevin James Blyton |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia |
Key people | Lachlan Blyton-Gray (Chief Operating Officer), Lucy Blyton-Gray (Chief Strategy Officer) |
| Products | Radio broadcasting, ski resorts, hotels, cinema venues, theme park, airport management, bus service |
Blyton Group is an Australian company specializing in media and entertainment, with its core focus on radio broadcasting through its subsidiary Capital Radio Network. The group also has interests in hospitality, service, and entertainment sectors within New South Wales.
History
Established by Kevin James Blyton, the enterprise commenced with the purchase of radio station 2XL (currently known as XLFM) located in the Snowy Mountains region. Over time, it has broadened its radio network and ventured into hospitality operations. Apart from XLFM, Snow FM, and 3GG, all other radio outlets are managed as equal partnership ventures (50/50) with Grant Broadcasters.
Leadership of the group remains within the family, including Chief Operating Officer Lachlan Blyton-Gray and Chief Strategy Officer Lucy Blyton-Gray.
In 2020, Blyton Group announced a decade-long development strategy for its Charlotte Pass Snow Resort, initiating improvements with a new chairlift installation.
Following the November 2021 sale of Grant Broadcasters’ wholly owned stations to ARN, their ownership stakes in Capital Radio Network stations and fully owned Geelong stations K Rock and Bay 93.9 continued to be held by the Cameron family.
Radio Network
Under the banner of Capital Radio Network, Blyton Group fully owns three radio stations and shares joint venture partnerships with Grant Broadcasters for several others. This network covers five geographic areas across the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia. Additionally, the Snowy Mountains station provides automated music programming for speakers at the Magic Mountain amusement park.
Fully owned stations
Joint ventures with Grant Broadcasters
- Australian Capital Territory
- 2CC
- 2CA
- MyDAB Canberra
- Snow FM (broadcast via DAB+ relayed from Snowy Mountains)
- KIX Country
- New South Wales
- Southern Tablelands
- Snowy Mountains
- Perth, Western Australia
- 6iX
- X Digital
- KIX Country
- MyDAB Perth
Previous holdings
During the 1990s, Kevin Blyton possessed a 40% interest in Newcastle’s NXFM. He has also owned radio stations in Tasmania and acquired Q92fm in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 1992.
Hospitality and services
Blyton Group runs two ski resorts situated in New South Wales’ Snowy Mountains: Charlotte Pass Snow Resort and Selwyn Snow Resort.
The company oversees multiple hotels within this area:
- Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel, Charlotte Pass
- Lucy Lodge, Charlotte Pass
- Stillwell Hotel, Charlotte Pass
The Selwyn Snow Resort suffered destruction during the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires but reopened to visitors in June 2023 after a three-year reconstruction effort. The official reopening was conducted by NSW Premier Christopher Minns on 21 July 2023.
Furthermore, Blyton Group owns the Snowy Mountains Airport Corporation, which manages Cooma-Snowy Mountains Airport, and operates an over-snow bus service connecting Charlotte Pass village with Perisher Valley.
Entertainment
The Company manages cinema venues located in the Snowy Mountains region, specifically in the town of Jindabyne, and holds ownership of the Magic Mountain theme park in Merimbula, thereby broadening its presence within regional entertainment sectors.