Press Start (website)
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, Broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Macquarie Media Group, Southern Cross Broadcasting |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Macquarie Bank (as subsidiary) |
| Headquarters | Australia , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Rhys Holleran (CEO) |
| Products | Radio broadcasting, digital audio platform (LISTNR), formerly regional television broadcasting |
Southern Cross Media Group Limited, operating under the name Southern Cross Austereo, stands as Australia's foremost radio broadcaster, managing a portfolio of 86 radio stations that span every state and territory across the country.
Originally, the company also managed regional and remote television outlets affiliated with Australia's three principal commercial networks. Established in 2004 as a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank, its initial focus was acquiring regional radio stations. The company broadened its scope in 2007 by purchasing Southern Cross Broadcasting, thereby entering the television market. Additionally, Southern Cross Austereo runs the LISTNR digital audio platform within Australia.
2004–05: Acquisition of RG Capital and DMG Regional Radio
RG Capital was an Australian radio enterprise founded in 1995 by Reg Grundy, which expanded to control 28 stations by the year 2000 before becoming publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. On 3 June 2004, Macquarie Bank declared its intention to acquire RG Capital for $173 million, thereby gaining ownership of 36 stations located in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Tasmania. The Federal Court of Australia approved this transaction in August 2004, with the acquisition completing on 1 September 2004. Operations were consolidated under a subsidiary named Regional Media Limited, trading as Macquarie Regional RadioWorks.
Shortly after, on 3 September 2004, Macquarie Bank purchased DMG Radio Australia's regional assets for $193.5 million, adding 57 regional stations and extending its reach into South Australia and Western Australia. This expansion positioned Regional Media as Australia's largest commercial radio network. Regulatory restrictions on station ownership within regional markets necessitated divestments: on 1 September 2005, station 2AY Albury was sold to Ace Radio, while six other stations were transferred to Prime Television.
On 17 November 2005, the company restructured into a triple-stapled arrangement comprising an Australian private company and trust alongside a Bermuda-based private entity. Macquarie Media Group was listed publicly on the ASX, with Macquarie Bank maintaining majority ownership. In December 2005, Macquarie Bank announced a AU$1.19 billion transaction to acquire a 40% interest in Taiwanese cable operator Taiwan Broadband Communications from The Carlyle Group; Macquarie Media Group funded 60% of this acquisition. The stake was later sold in March 2008 for $400 million to the Macquarie Korea Opportunities Fund.
2006–08: Expansion through American Consolidated Media and Southern Cross acquisitions
By 2006, Macquarie Regional RadioWorks had established a network delivering news and programming across 86 stations from central hubs located in Bendigo, Bunbury, the Gold Coast, and Townsville. This centralized programming strategy attracted criticism from politicians such as Nationals MPs Paul Neville and Barnaby Joyce. In reaction, Communications Minister Helen Coonan introduced the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Act 2006, mandating commercial radio licenses to broadcast at least 4.5 hours of 'locally significant' content daily starting from 1 January 2008. This requirement was subsequently eased to three hours for most stations, with exemptions granted to smaller broadcasters.
In November 2006, Macquarie Media Group acquired a 13.8% shareholding in Southern Cross Broadcasting by purchasing ten million shares for AU$195 million. On 25 January 2007, Macquarie extended its presence internationally by acquiring US-based newspaper publisher American Consolidated Media for US$80 million (AU$102 million).
On 3 July 2007, Macquarie announced a $1.35 billion bid to take over Southern Cross Broadcasting at AU$17.41 per share. This acquisition included Southern Cross's regional television assets—Southern Cross Television (affiliated with Seven Network), Southern Cross Ten (Network Ten affiliate), and Tasmanian Digital Television (a joint venture with WIN Corporation). Non-television holdings such as metropolitan radio stations and Southern Star Group were planned for sale to Fairfax Media for AU$520 million. Additionally, Macquarie intended to acquire nine regional radio stations from Fairfax located in Queensland and South Australia. The Australian Communications & Media Authority approved this arrangement under conditions requiring the divestment of twelve radio stations due to ownership caps. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission cleared the deal on 17 October but expressed concerns about diminished competition resulting from Fairfax station acquisitions.
The Southern Cross takeover was finalized on 5 November 2007, with non-television assets sold to Fairfax the following day. By December, negotiations pertaining to certain South Australian and Queensland radio stations were discontinued. In March 2008, eighteen radio stations were sold off for AU$34.5 million: nine Tasmanian outlets went to Grant Broadcasters, four Queensland stations were acquired by Smart Radio, while others—including Atherton's 4AM and Gippsland's 3GG—were transferred to smaller operators such as Coastal Broadcasters Pty Ltd and Resonate Broadcasting, a new venture established by former Austereo executives Guy Dobson and Rex Morris.
Following these acquisitions, Macquarie consolidated its regional radio and television businesses under the brand Macquarie Southern Cross Media.
2009–10: Corporate Reorganization
In August 2009, Macquarie Media Group announced a substantial loss of $84.6 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year, a stark contrast to the $273 million profit reported the previous year. Although revenue declined, the Australian division still generated a profit of $123.4 million, whereas ACM experienced considerable financial setbacks.
By December 2009, shareholders of MMG approved a transition from the existing triple-stapled structure to a single entity listed on the ASX. Subsequently, MMG was rebranded as Southern Cross Media Group, with Rhys Holleran, formerly CEO of RG Capital Radio, appointed as the new chief executive officer.
Austereo
Austereo was established by Paul Thompson and debuted SAFM in Adelaide in 1980 following the advent of commercial FM radio in Australia. The company expanded its footprint with Fox FM in Melbourne in 1986 and later added 2Day FM Sydney and 4BK Brisbane, converting the latter to FM by 1990. Austereo also purchased Perth's AM station 6IX, renaming it The Eagle 1080 AM, but divested it after unsuccessful attempts to acquire new FM licenses, which instead went to competitors Mix 94.5 (6KY) and HIT 92.9 (6PM), stations now under Austereo ownership.
In 1995, Village Roadshow acquired the Triple M network from Hoyts, leading to a merger with Austereo under a unified corporate structure. This consolidation encountered difficulties due to intense competition between the networks and rivalry between Village Roadshow and Hoyts in the film sector.
Merger
In March 2011, Southern Cross Media initiated a takeover bid valued at A$714 million for the national radio broadcaster Austereo Group. By 6 April 2011, Austereo shareholders had accepted the offer, granting Southern Cross Media over 90% ownership. The merger was finalized in July 2011, resulting in the creation of Southern Cross Austereo.
2010s
Starting November 2011, Southern Cross Austereo introduced digital channels 9Gem, 9Go!, 7two, 7mate, and One within the GTS/BKN broadcast regions.
In August 2012, Guy Dobson was appointed as Chief Officer of Content, responsible for overseeing both radio and television operations across the network.
Southern Cross expanded its offerings by adding shopping channel TVSN in December 2012 and launched its proprietary datacast channel, Aspire TV, in May 2013 throughout Southern Cross Ten markets.
December 2013 saw a switch for GDS/BDN to broadcast content from NWS Adelaide.
In October 2014, SAFM Adelaide was relaunched as Hit 107, followed by a phased rebranding across the Hit Network announced in December that year. By January 2015, the network adopted the name Today's Hit Network, expanding into Canberra during 2016 and rebranding Hobart’s Sea FM as Hit100.9. The entire network embraced the Hit Network identity by December 2016 as part of a nationwide consolidation strategy.
On its launch day, 29 August 2015, Southern Cross began broadcasting Racing.com in markets affiliated with Seven.
In March 2016, Southern Cross Austereo acquired gaming news publisher Press Start and appointed its founder Shannon Grixti as managing director.
On 29 April 2016, Southern Cross signed a five-year affiliation agreement worth nearly $500 million with Nine Entertainment Co., replacing WIN Television as the primary regional affiliate for Nine. The transition from Network Ten to Nine took effect on 1 July 2016 across Queensland, southern New South Wales, and Victoria—joining existing Nine affiliates in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill. Northern NSW's NRN remained excluded due to Nine’s ownership of NBN Television there.
Following this affiliation shift, channel lineups were rearranged: Nine was assigned to channel 5/51; 9HD moved to channel 50; other channels were adjusted accordingly. In Nine-affiliated markets, TVSN ceased transmission and was temporarily replaced by placeholder slides until Yesshop launched on 1 August 2016.
Southern Cross initially postponed launching Nine’s digital services 9HD and 9Life because of equipment installation delays but successfully aired 9HD on launch day and restored access to 9Life by mid-July.
On 25 July 2016, Southern Cross announced it would carry New Zealand-based home shopping channel Yesshop as a datacast service starting August across multiple regions; however, Yesshop ceased operations by late September due to financial difficulties.
In November 2016, Southern Cross Austereo partnered with PodcastOne to introduce PodcastOne Australia early in 2017.
December 2016 featured a planning submission to demolish CTC studios in Canberra for residential development—reflecting broader industry trends toward repurposing media properties amid evolving market conditions.
In March 2017, Southern Cross launched an HD simulcast called Southern Cross HD for its Seven-affiliated Tasmania station ahead of that year's AFL season; native HD broadcasts commenced in June 2018.
Southern Cross divested its Ten-affiliated Northern NSW station NRN to WIN Television for $55 million in March 2017; completion occurred in May with WIN branding introduced by September. This sale ended Southern Cross’s ownership of Ten affiliates except for Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill stations where it retains exclusive control over all three major network affiliations.
July 2017 saw Southern Cross introduce American religious broadcaster SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN) as a datacast service across several markets excluding Northern NSW due to WIN's ownership of NRN.
From July 2018 onward, Seven-affiliated stations dropped local branding in favor of generic Seven Network branding; however, plans to rebrand news services were postponed due to concerns over editorial independence.
In September 2018, broadcast playout operations for Canberra were outsourced to NPC Media—a joint venture between Nine and Seven—with staff relocated to leased office space; full transition aimed for mid-2020 completion.
On 30 September 2018, Southern Cross launched 9Life in Tasmania and Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill through TDT and GTS/BKN respectively; later that year it added 7HD broadcasting in Darwin.
Between December 2018 and January 2019, news bulletins in Tasmania and Spencer Gulf were rebranded as Nightly News, with production for Spencer Gulf relocated to Hobart studios.
Southern Cross Austereo unveiled an updated corporate logo on 1 July 2019.
2020s
In March 2020, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) introduced 7HD, 9HD, and 10 HD broadcasts to the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions via stations GTS/BKN, GDS/BDN, and SGS/SCN. To accommodate these high-definition channels, 7mate, 9Gem, and 10 Bold were downgraded to standard definition (SD). Significant adjustments made on 19 March 2020 included positioning 7HD on LCN 60; relocating 7mate to LCN 63 in SD; maintaining the primary Seven channel on LCNs 6 and 61; placing 10 HD on LCN 50; moving 10 Peach to LCN 53; shifting 10 Bold to LCN 52 as SD; and keeping the main 10 channel on LCNs 5 and 51. Later that month, Nine network channels were reorganized with 9HD assigned to LCN 80; the main Nine channel on LCNs 8 and 81; 9Go! moved to LCN 83; and 9Gem placed on LCN 82 in SD.
Between March and April 2020, SCA outsourced its television playout operations to NPC Media.
On 27 July 2020, SCA unveiled a refreshed Hit Network brand featuring a new logo and a pop-oriented music format aimed at listeners aged 30–54. Simultaneously, Brisbane’s Hit 105 and Adelaide’s Hit 107 reverted to their original branding as B105 and SAFM. Subsequently, on 20 August, SCA declared the introduction of statewide networked breakfast shows across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, replacing a total of nineteen local programs as part of a strategic consolidation.
August 2020 marked the demolition of the CTC and SCA studios located in Watson, Canberra, concluding a broadcasting presence that spanned 46 years.
On 1 December 2020, Mix 94.5 Perth transitioned its affiliation from Triple M to the Hit Network, while Hit92.9 was relaunched as 92.9 Triple M.
The launch of LiSTNR occurred on 18 February 2021, merging the rebranded PodcastOne Australia with SCA’s existing digital audio offerings. This platform continues SCA’s collaboration with American PodcastOne for content sharing.
On 12 March 2021, Nine announced its decision to return to regional affiliate WIN Television starting from 1 July, ending SCA’s five-year partnership with Nine. Following this, on 25 June, SCA secured a two-year affiliation agreement with Network 10 covering regional Queensland, Southern New South Wales, and Victoria. This agreement introduced 10 Shake to regional markets on Channel 54 and launched Sky News Regional on Channel 56 from August onward. To facilitate Sky News Regional’s arrival, Aspire TV ceased transmission on SCA’s Ten stations by July.
On 16 August 2022, SCA transitioned 7two, 7mate, 10 Bold, and 10 Peach from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 encoding within Tasmania.
As of June 2023, SCA extended its affiliation contract with Network Ten until at least December 31, 2023.
Beginning on 1 July 2023, SCA commenced broadcasting Network Ten’s datacast channel Gecko on LCNs 57 and 67 throughout Southern New South Wales, ACT, Regional Victoria, Queensland, Broken Hill, Spencer Gulf, and Tasmania.
Proposed acquisition by ARN Media
In October 2023, private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners together with ARN Media submitted a non-binding indicative proposal to acquire all fully diluted shares of the company. This followed ARN’s earlier purchase of a 14.8% stake in SCA in June. According to the proposed arrangement, ARN would retain ownership of the KIIS Network, while acquiring the Triple M network. Meanwhile, Anchorage would take control of the Hit and Pure Gold networks along with SCA’s television stations and LiSTNR platform. However, the transaction was terminated after Anchorage withdrew their offer.
Withdrawal from Television
On 17 December 2024, Southern Cross Austereo declared the divestment of its regional television licenses in Queensland, Southern NSW/ACT, and Victoria to Network 10, with SCA entitled to a portion of profits for five years following the transaction. This sale was finalized on 1 March 2025.
Subsequently, on 27 February 2025, SCA revealed plans to sell its remaining regional TV licenses to Australian Digital Holdings; however, this agreement collapsed by May. Instead, these stations were purchased by Seven West Media for $3.75 million. The transaction completed on 1 July 2025, marking SCA’s full withdrawal from the television sector.
Radio
Southern Cross Austereo manages two main radio brands:
- Hit Network – featuring adult hits spanning from the 1980s to current tracks, targeting listeners aged 25-54 in both metropolitan and regional areas.
- Triple M Network – focusing on talkback and rock music primarily for adults over 39, broadcast mainly on AM and legacy FM stations.
Partnerships with DMG Radio and ARN Media permit both Southern Cross Austereo and ARN to continue utilizing existing DMG brand names within regional markets.
Radio
Southern Cross Austereo creates networked content for its two flagship brands, including:
| Network | Show title | Hosts | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit | Carrie & Tommy | Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little | Afternoon show |
| Hit | The Hot Hits | Nic Kelly & Loren Barry | Evening show |
Certain stations incorporated the Continuous Call Team following broadcast rights complications with 2GB and the National Rugby League, notably Triple M Newcastle, which also secured broadcasting rights for Newcastle Knights matches.
Television news (until July 2025)
Prior to divesting its television assets in July 2025, Southern Cross Austereo produced regional TV news content for affiliates of both the Seven Network and Network 10. Comprehensive evening newscasts were broadcast in Tasmania and Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill (until 2023), alongside brief updates across remote Central Australia, Darwin, Southern NSW & ACT, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania.
In late 2018 through early 2019, the Nightly News branding was introduced for Tasmania and Spencer Gulf bulletins, with production for Spencer Gulf relocating to TNT’s Hobart studio. In 2019, the Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill bulletin moved to 7two, airing at 7:00 pm.
In May 2021, Southern Cross Austereo collaborated with Sky News Australia to launch free-to-air Sky News Regional, replacing the previous Sky News on WIN service. After returning to Network 10 affiliation on 1 July 2021, SCA reinstated local news updates under the 10 News First banner across its ten stations. These updates are produced from studios in Launceston (Queensland) and Hobart (Southern NSW and Victoria), presented by journalists such as Ruby Cairns, Daniel Pizarro, and Kasey Wilkins. Typically, these brief segments do not include video footage or soundbites.
On 13 April 2023, Southern Cross Austereo unexpectedly terminated the GTS/BKN bulletin, concluding over five decades of local news coverage in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill and leaving those areas without local television news services.
Queensland
New South Wales
1.Translators rebroadcasting 2BDR operate on 90.1 MHz in Omeo and 96.5 MHz in Corryong. Additionally, a translator for 2AAY functions on 95.7 MHz in Corryong, Victoria.
2.Translators at 100.7 MHz and 102.3 MHz serve the Port Macquarie area.
Australian Capital Territory
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | ARN's KIIS Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Canberra | 1ROC "Hit104.7 Canberra" (104.7 MHz FM) | 1CBR "Mix 106.3 Canberra" (106.3 MHz FM) |
Victoria
1. Re-broadcast transmitter operating at 97.9 MHz FM in Traralgon.
Tasmania
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | Triple M Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Hobart | 7TTT "Hit 100.9 Hobart" (100.9 MHz FM) | 7XXX "Triple M Hobart" (107.3 MHz FM) |
South Australia
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | Triple M Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 5SSA "SAFM Adelaide" (107.1 MHz FM) | 5MMM "Triple M Adelaide" (104.7 MHz FM) |
| Mount Gambier | 5SEF "SAFM Limestone Coast" (96.1 MHz FM) | 5SE "Triple M Limestone Coast"(90.5 MHz FM) |
Western Australia
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | Triple M Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | 6AAY "Hit106.5 Karratha" (106.5 MHz FM) | 6VA "Triple M Karratha" (783 kHz AM) |
| Bridgetown | 6BET "Hit Southwest" (100.5 MHz FM) | 6BY "Triple M Southwest" (900 kHz AM) |
| Broome | 6HED "Hit101.3 Broome" (106.5 MHz FM) | 6NWR "Triple M Broome" (102.9 MHz FM) |
| Bunbury | 6BUN "Hit" (101.3 MHz FM) | "6TZ "Triple M Southwest" (963 kHz AM)1 |
1. The 6TZ signal is additionally relayed on 1134 kHz AM in Collie, Western Australia (6CI, now classified under 6TZ by the Australian Communications & Media Authority), as well as on 756 kHz AM covering Busselton and the Margaret River area.
Digital radio
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) runs a variety of digital-exclusive radio stations, featuring both seasonal and genre-focused channels such as Santa Radio (Christmas-themed), Buddha Hits (pop, electronica, acoustic), Oldskool 80s and 90s Hits, RnB Fridays, Dance Hits, Kids Hits, and SoundCloud Radio (in collaboration with SoundCloud). The Triple M brand is also digitally represented through stations like Triple M 90s (rock from the 1990s), Classic Rock (1960s-70s), Hard 'N' Heavy (metal and hard rock), Country (from the 1990s onward), and Soft Rock.
In 2021, SCA made a strategic investment in Sonnant, a company specializing in AI-powered content discovery, to enhance metadata integration across its digital audio offerings, aiming to boost listener engagement and revenue opportunities.
Internet radio
Launched in February 2021 with an initial roster of 15 music stations, SCA’s LiSTNR platform now hosts an extensive range of internet radio channels designed to appeal to varied audiences and musical tastes. The selection includes Almost Acoustic (relaxed chillout/pop/rock/country), Blender Beats (pop, hip-hop, R&B, dance), Cover Up (pop hits across eras), Fit Hits (pop/dance/electronica), Good Vibes (easy chillout/2000s/90s), Heart Breakers (romantic tracks from the 80s and 90s), Homegrown (Australian rock/pop/new releases), Karaoke Stage, Latino pop, Noughties hits, Rock 'n' Road Trip, Stress Free chillout, Top 30 chart hits, Trending Now new music, and Yacht Rock.
Further stations cater to jazz styles (Jazz, Crooners & Swooners), decade-specific playlists (70s Hits, 80s New Wave, 90s Soft Pop, 60s Hits, 2010s), Indigenous music blending hip-hop and pop elements, children’s music, nostalgic 90s guilty pleasures, indie and alternative rock genres, ambient-focused Sound States channels for sleep and concentration, as well as hard rock through Hard N Heavy.
Recent expansions include Chill Pop Hits and Mushroom 50—a collaboration with Mushroom Records spotlighting Indigenous and Australian artists. By 2023, several traditional digital radio brands had been integrated into the LiSTNR platform.
Looking forward to 2025, SCA intends to broaden LiSTNR’s lineup by introducing new stations such as K-Pop, Chill Electronic, Run Club (house music for workouts), Lofi Study Beats, Pride (pop/chart hits), Essential Emo (rock/alternative), Fresh Folk Hits (country/indie), RnB Chill, Billion Streams Club (pop hits), Rap Revolution (hip-hop/new releases), Aussie Hip Hop, Punjabi Icons (global hip-hop/R&B), Coastal Drive (mood/chill), Hot Country, hits from the 2020s decade, Yeah The Girls (pop/chart hits), On Tour (chart hits), Rock 101, and Pop UK.
Podcasts
The LiSTNR app by SCA features a curated selection of US PodcastOne productions alongside locally created podcasts from personalities including Hamish Blake, Dylan Alcott, Christopher Pyne, and Rosie Waterland.
The Briefing is a news podcast hosted by presenters such as Sacha Barbour Gatt, Chris Spyrou, Natarsha Belling, Helen Smith, and Antoinette Lattouf.
Advertising sales
From 1 July 2018 until mid-2021, SCA handled advertising sales not only for its own media assets but also for Nine’s owned-and-operated station NBN. On 1 July 2021 sales duties shifted to WIN before transitioning to Nine Entertainment on 1 July 2022.
Radio
After acquiring DMG Radio's regional outlets in 2005, Macquarie Southern Cross Media was obligated to sell off certain stations:
Following the acquisition of Southern Cross Broadcasting assets, further divestitures were required to comply with diversity regulations, finalized by March 2008:
- Transferred to Grant Broadcasters:
- Transferred to Resonate Broadcasting:
- Transferred to Smart Radio/Pinecam Pty Ltd:
- Transferred to Broadcast Operations Group:
- Transferred to Coastal Broadcasters Pty Ltd:
- Queensland: 4AM (Atherton)
Additionally, Southern Cross Austereo had to dispose of Sunshine Coast stations 91.9 Sea FM and 92.7 Mix FM due to licensing conflicts with Brisbane. These assets were sold to Eon Broadcasting in 2013.
Television
In the fall of 2017, Southern Cross Austereo sold its Northern NSW station affiliated with Network 10, NRN, to WIN Television for $55 million after extended negotiations. By 2025, Southern Cross Austereo divested its owned-and-operated regional TV stations to the 10 Network and Seven West Media, including its stakes in various jointly owned channels.
New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
- BDN – Nine Network service in Broken Hill¹
- BKN – Seven Network outlet in Broken Hill¹
- SCN – Network 10 broadcaster in Broken Hill¹
- CTC – Network 10 station covering Canberra and southern New South Wales
Northern Territory and Remote Eastern Australia
- Central Digital Television (CDT) – Network 10 Central region, co-owned with Imparja Television Pty Ltd²
- DTD – Network 10 Darwin station, jointly owned with the Nine Network²
- QQQ – Seven Network Central
- TND – Seven Network Darwin
Queensland
- IDQ – Central Digital Television's Network 10 service in Mount Isa, co-owned with Imparja Television Pty Ltd²
- ITQ – Seven Network outlet in Mount Isa
- TNQ – Regional Queensland's Network 10 affiliate
South Australia
- GDS – Nine Network coverage for Spencer Gulf¹
- GTS – Seven Network service for Spencer Gulf¹
- SGS – Network 10 broadcaster for Spencer Gulf¹
Tasmania
Victoria
1. Southern Cross operated a commercial TV monopoly in these areas at the time of sale; except for GTS and BKN, other channels relay Adelaide content with localized advertising.
2. These stations were introduced as digital-only ventures, jointly owned by established commercial broadcasters.
Ownership and control
On 16 February 2006, the Australian Communications & Media Authority examined Elmie Investments, owned by Stuart Simpson, concerning its radio station holdings. It was revealed that Macquarie Regional RadioWorks provided $9 million towards Simpson’s $10 million purchase of five stations from AMI Radio. The acquired stations—EasyMix Ten-71 (Bendigo) and EasyMix 1467 (Mildura) in Victoria; 4EL (Cairns) and 4AA (Mackay) in Queensland; alongside Easy Mix 621 (Bunbury)—were located in markets where RadioWorks already held two commercial licenses. By November 2007, Macquarie Regional RadioWorks was found to have violated sections 54 and 56 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Prior to the investigation’s conclusion, these stations were divested from Elmie Investments.
Kyle & Jackie O child rape victim incident
In 2009, following an incident on the Kyle and Jackie O Show where a 14-year-old girl was subjected to a lie detector test and pressured into discussing her sexual history live on air, 2Day FM was mandated to strengthen child protection measures. Host Kyle Sandilands encouraged both the girl and her mother to disclose details about her sexual activity, during which the girl revealed she had been raped at age 12. This episode led to intense criticism regarding the program’s ethical standards and the station’s safeguarding protocols.
Summer 30 royal hoax call incident
In a widely publicized prank call, 2Day FM presenters Mike Christian and Mel Greig impersonated the Queen and Prince of Wales to extract confidential information from nurse Jacintha Saldanha at King Edward VII's Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge was receiving treatment for severe morning sickness. The nurse was subsequently discovered deceased in an apparent suicide, sparking major controversy.
The hospital raised concerns about the legality of broadcasting the call, while Southern Cross Austereo CEO Rhys Holleran asserted confidence that no laws had been breached. Nevertheless, a confidential report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) later determined that airing the call without consent was unlawful, constituting a significant regulatory violation for the station.
See also
- Seven (Southern Cross Austereo)
- 10 (Southern Cross Austereo)
- Hit Network
- Triple M
- RadioWorks
- American RadioWorks