RG Capital
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, Broadcasting |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Macquarie Bank (as subsidiary) |
| Headquarters | South Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Radio broadcasting, Television broadcasting, Audio platform (LISTNR) |
Southern Cross Media Group Limited, operating under the name Southern Cross Austereo, stands as Australia's foremost radio broadcaster, managing 86 stations throughout the country. Based in South Melbourne, the company was established in 2004 as a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank with the purpose of acquiring regional radio outlets. Its expansion into regional television occurred in 2007 after purchasing Southern Cross Broadcasting. Additionally, the group manages the LISTNR audio platform.
2004–05: Acquisitions of RG Capital & DMG Regional Radio
Founded in 1995 by Reg Grundy, RG Capital began with the acquisition of Sea FM Gold Coast and grew to encompass 28 regional stations by 2000, eventually listing on the Australian Securities Exchange. On 3 June 2004, Macquarie Bank declared its intention to purchase RG Capital for $173 million, thereby gaining ownership of 36 stations across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Tasmania. The Federal Court of Australia approved this transaction in August 2004, with completion on 1 September 2004. Subsequently, operations were unified under Regional Media Limited, trading as Macquarie Regional RadioWorks.
Shortly after, on 3 September 2004, Macquarie Bank acquired DMG Radio Australia's regional portfolio for $193.5 million, adding 57 stations and extending its reach into South Australia and Western Australia. This acquisition positioned Regional Media as Australia's largest commercial radio network, controlling 93 stations. Due to regulatory restrictions imposed by the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, certain stations had to be divested; these were sold to Ace Radio and Prime Media Group by September 2005.
On 17 November 2005, the company underwent restructuring into a triple-stapled structure consisting of Australian and Bermuda-incorporated companies alongside a trust. The resulting Macquarie Media Group was publicly listed on the ASX with Macquarie Bank retaining majority ownership. In December that year, Macquarie Bank announced a AU$1.19 billion acquisition for a 40% share in Taiwanese cable operator Taiwan Broadband Communications, partially funded through Macquarie Media Group. This stake was later sold in March 2008 for $400 million to the Macquarie Korea Opportunities Fund.
2006–08: Acquisitions of American Consolidated Media & Southern Cross
By 2006, Macquarie Regional RadioWorks centralized news and programming distribution across its network of 86 radio stations from hubs located in Bendigo, Bunbury, the Gold Coast, and Townsville. This centralization attracted criticism from politicians including Nationals MPs Paul Neville and Barnaby Joyce.<ref>In response, 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 January 2008.<ref> This requirement was subsequently reduced to three hours for most stations, with exemptions granted to smaller broadcasters.<ref>
In November 2006, Macquarie Media Group acquired a 13.8% equity stake in Southern Cross Broadcasting by purchasing 10 million shares valued at AU$195 million.<ref> On 25 January 2007, it entered the US market through acquiring newspaper publisher American Consolidated Media for US$80 million (AU$102 million).<ref>
On 3 July 2007, Macquarie Media Group announced a takeover bid valued at AU$1.35 billion for Southern Cross Broadcasting at AU$17.41 per share.<ref> This acquisition encompassed Southern Cross's regional television assets—Southern Cross Television (affiliated with Seven Network), Southern Cross Ten (affiliated with Network Ten), and Tasmanian Digital Television (a joint venture with WIN Corporation)—while metropolitan radio stations, Satellite Music Australia, and Southern Star Group were divested to Fairfax Media for AU$520 million.<ref> As part of this arrangement, Macquarie acquired nine regional radio stations from Fairfax located in Queensland and South Australia.<ref> The deal received conditional approval from the Australian Communications & Media Authority, requiring divestment of twelve radio stations to comply with the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.<ref> The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission granted approval on 17 October but highlighted concerns about reduced competition due to Fairfax's sale of nine stations to Macquarie.<ref>
The Southern Cross Broadcasting acquisition was finalized on 5 November 2007, with non-television assets sold to Fairfax the following day.<ref> Plans to sell South Australian and Queensland radio stations were abandoned on 12 December.<ref> On 14 March 2008, Macquarie divested eighteen radio stations for AU$34.5 million.<ref> Nine Tasmanian outlets were transferred to Grant Broadcasters,<ref> four Queensland stations sold to Smart Radio,<ref> and various other regional stations acquired by companies such as Coastal Broadcasters Pty Ltd and Resonate Broadcasting—formed by former Austereo executives Guy Dobson and Rex Morris.<ref> Both Macquarie-owned stations located in Young, New South Wales were sold to Broadcast Operations Group.<ref>
Following these transactions, Macquarie rebranded its regional radio and television division as Macquarie Southern Cross Media.<ref>
2009–10: Organizational Changes
In August 2009, Macquarie Media Group announced a loss of $84.6 million for the 2008-09 financial year, a significant decline from the $273 million profit recorded the previous year. Although overall revenue decreased, the Group's Australian operations still generated a $123.4 million profit, whereas ACM experienced substantial losses.
By December 2009, holders of MMG securities approved the transition from a triple-stapled structure to a single entity listed on the ASX. Following this change, MMG was rebranded as Southern Cross Media Group, with Rhys Holleran, formerly CEO of RG Capital Radio, appointed as chief executive officer.
Austereo
Established by Paul Thompson, Austereo won the metropolitan Adelaide FM licence and launched SAFM in September 1980. The network expanded with Fox FM Melbourne in 1986, later adding 2Day FM Sydney and Brisbane's 4BK, which converted to FM in 1990. Austereo also acquired Perth's AM station 6IX with plans for FM conversion but divested it after unsuccessful bids for new FM licences to competitors Mix 94.5 and HIT 92.9—both now owned by Austereo.
In 1995, Village Roadshow acquired the Triple M network from Hoyts and merged it with Austereo under one umbrella. This integration 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 offer valued at A$714 million for the national radio broadcaster Austereo Group. By 6 April 2011, Austereo shareholders had accepted the bid, granting Southern Cross Media ownership exceeding 90%. The merger was finalized in July 2011, resulting in the formation of Southern Cross Austereo.
2010s
Starting November 2011, Southern Cross Austereo introduced digital channels 9Gem, 9Go!, 7two, 7mate, and One across the GTS/BKN broadcast regions.
In August 2012, Guy Dobson was appointed Chief Content Officer with oversight of both radio and television divisions. By December that year, Southern Cross began airing the shopping channel TVSN and subsequently launched its proprietary datacast channel, Aspire TV, in May 2013 across multiple markets.
December 2013 marked GDS/BDN’s switch to relaying content from NWS Adelaide.
October 2014 saw SAFM Adelaide rebranded as Hit 107 as part of a phased network-wide rebranding that culminated in January 2015 with the debut of Today's Hit Network. This branding extended to Canberra in January 2016 and Hobart’s Sea FM transitioned to Hit100.9 in February. By December 2016, most stations had adopted the Hit Network identity.
In August 2015, Southern Cross began broadcasting Racing.com within Seven-affiliated markets.
Southern Cross Austereo acquired gaming news outlet Press Start in March 2016, appointing its founder Shannon Grixti as managing director.
In April 2016, Southern Cross signed an affiliation agreement nearing $500 million over five years with Nine Entertainment Co., replacing WIN Television as the primary Nine affiliate in regional areas. Effective July 1, 2016, Southern Cross transitioned from Network Ten to Nine Network branding throughout Queensland, southern New South Wales, and Victoria—joining its existing Nine affiliates in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill. Northern NSW’s NRN station was excluded due to Nine’s ownership of NBN Television there.
Channel allocations were reorganized: Nine appeared on channels 5 and 51; 9HD on channel 50; 9Gem (standard definition) on channel 52; 9Go! on channel 53; 9Life on channel 54; and Aspire TV on channel 56. GDS/BDN continued carrying Nine content on channel 8. TVSN ceased transmission in Nine-affiliated areas and was temporarily replaced by To Be Advised until Yesshop launched on August 1, 2016.
Although initial equipment installation delayed some services, Southern Cross successfully launched 9HD on day one of the affiliation switch and restored full service of 9Life by mid-July.
On July 25, 2016, Southern Cross began airing New Zealand-based shopping channel Yesshop. However, Yes Retail ceased operations by late September due to approximately $20 million in losses; channels were subsequently removed shortly thereafter.
In November 2016, Southern Cross Austereo partnered with PodcastOne to introduce PodcastOne Australia early in 2017.
December saw a planning proposal submitted for demolishing CTC studios in Watson to enable residential development—a reflection of broader industry trends toward operational consolidation.
March 2017 brought the launch of high-definition simulcast Southern Cross HD in Tasmania ahead of that year’s AFL season; full native HD programming from Channel Seven commenced by mid-2018.
Southern Cross divested its Ten-affiliated Northern NSW station NRN to WIN Television for $55 million in March; the transaction completed in May with WIN rebranding from September onward. This sale ended Southern Cross’s exclusive Ten affiliation outside Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill where it retains sole control.
July 2017 marked introduction of American religious broadcaster SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN) as a datacast service across multiple regional markets except Northern NSW.
From July 2018 onward, local branding was phased out on Seven-affiliated stations in favor of uniform Seven Network branding. Plans to rename news bulletins as Seven News were postponed amid concerns over editorial independence.
In September 2018, Southern Cross announced outsourcing broadcast playout for Canberra operations to NPC Media—a joint venture between Nine and Seven—relocating staff to leased offices with completion targeted by mid-2020.
On September 30, 2018, Southern Cross launched 9Life broadcasts in Tasmania via TDT and Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill through GTS/BKN.
7HD commenced transmission in Darwin during November 2018.
By early 2019, newscasts titled Nightly News were introduced for Tasmanian and Spencer Gulf markets; production for Spencer Gulf moved to Hobart studios.
Southern Cross Austereo unveiled an updated corporate logo on July 1, 2019.
2020s
In March 2020, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) introduced 7HD, 9HD, and 10 HD in the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions through stations GTS/BKN, GDS/BDN, and SGS/SCN. To make room for these new HD broadcasts, 7mate, 9Gem, and 10 Bold were downgraded to standard definition. Significant modifications on 19 March 2020 included placing 7HD on LCN 60, moving 7mate to LCN 63 as an SD channel, offering Seven on LCNs 6 and 61, positioning 10 HD on LCN 50, and maintaining the primary 10 channel on LCNs 5 and 51. Later that month, the Nine network underwent changes with 9HD launching on LCN 80, Nine appearing on LCNs 8 and 81, 9Go! shifting to LCN 83, and 9Gem transitioning to LCN 82 as an SD service.
Throughout March and April of 2020, SCA delegated its television playout functions to NPC Media.
On 27 July 2020, SCA refreshed the Hit Network brand by unveiling a new logo and adopting a pop-centric format aimed at listeners aged 30 to 54. Classic stations B105 Brisbane and SAFM Adelaide were reinstated under this relaunch. By August, SCA consolidated its operations by replacing nineteen local breakfast programs with statewide networked shows across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.
The month of August also marked the demolition of the CTC and SCA studio complex in Watson, concluding its role as Canberra’s television production center after 46 years.
On 1 December 2020, SCA transitioned Perth’s Mix 94.5 from Triple M branding to the Hit Network; concurrently, Hit92.9 was rebranded as 92.9 Triple M.
The launch of LiSTNR occurred on 18 February 2021 when SCA merged the rebranded PodcastOne Australia platform with its digital audio offerings and live radio streaming services. This initiative further extended its content-sharing agreement with American PodcastOne.
In March 2021, Nine declared it would return to WIN Television as its regional partner starting in July, thereby ending its five-year affiliation with SCA. Subsequently, on 25 June 2021, SCA finalized a two-year affiliation agreement with Network 10 covering regional Queensland, Southern New South Wales, and Victoria. This deal introduced 10 Shake to regional markets (Channel 54) and launched Sky News Regional (Channel 56) on 1 August. To accommodate Sky News Regional’s arrival, Aspire TV ceased transmission on SCA’s Ten-affiliated stations by the end of July.
On 16 August 2022, SCA upgraded broadcast efficiency in Tasmania by converting 7two, 7mate, 10 Bold, and 10 Peach from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 encoding.
As of June 27, 2023, SCA extended its affiliation contract with Network Ten through to December 31, 2023.
Beginning on 1 July 2023, SCA commenced broadcasting Network Ten’s datacast channel Gecko on LCNs 57 (covering Southern NSW, ACT, Regional Victoria/Queensland, Broken Hill, Spencer Gulf) and LCN 67 in Tasmania.
Proposed acquisition by ARN Media
In October 2023, ARN Media alongside private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners presented a non-binding indicative proposal to acquire full ownership of the company’s fully diluted shares. This followed ARN’s earlier purchase of a 14.8% stake in SCA during June. Under this proposed transaction, ARN planned to retain control over the KIIS Network while acquiring the Triple M network; meanwhile Anchorage intended to acquire the Hit, Pure Gold networks along with SCA's television assets and LiSTNR platform. However, the acquisition did not proceed after Anchorage withdrew from the deal.
Withdrawal from Television
On 17 December 2024, Southern Cross Austereo declared the divestment of its regional television licenses covering Regional Queensland, Southern NSW/ACT, and Regional Victoria to Network 10. As part of the agreement, SCA was entitled to receive profit shares for a period of five years following the sale. This transaction was finalized on 1 March 2025.
Subsequently, on 27 February 2025, SCA reached an agreement to sell its remaining regional television licenses to Australian Digital Holdings. Nevertheless, by May, this arrangement collapsed, leading to Seven West Media acquiring these stations for $3.75 million. The completion of this sale on 1 July 2025 signified Southern Cross Austereo’s full withdrawal from the television sector.
Radio
Southern Cross Austereo operates its radio stations primarily under two distinct formats:
- Hit Network – featuring adult hits spanning from the 1980s through to current tracks, targeting listeners aged 25-54 in both metropolitan and regional areas.
- Triple M Network – focusing on talkback and rock music geared towards adults over 39 years old, predominantly broadcast on AM and legacy FM stations.
Collaborations with DMG Radio and ARN Media permit Southern Cross Austereo and ARN to continue utilizing established brand identities within regional markets.
Radio
SCA develops network-wide programming for both of its principal brands, including:
| Network | Show name | Host/s | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit | Carrie & Tommy | Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little | Afternoon show |
| Hit | The Hot Hits | Nic Kelly & Loren Barry | Evening show |
Certain stations air the Continuous Call Team program following licensing arrangements with Broadcast Operations Group, notably Triple M Newcastle, which also provides coverage of Newcastle Knights matches.
Television news (prior July 2025)
Prior to divesting its television assets in July 2025, Southern Cross Austereo produced regional TV news content for affiliates aligned with the Seven Network and Network 10. Full-length evening newscasts were broadcast in Tasmania and the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill area (until 2023), alongside brief news updates servicing remote Central/Eastern Australia, Darwin, Southern NSW/ACT, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania.
During late 2018 and early 2019, the bulletins for Tasmania and Spencer Gulf were rebranded as Nightly News, with production for Spencer Gulf relocating to TNT's studio in Hobart. In 2019, the Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill bulletin transitioned to 7two, airing at 7:00 pm.
In May 2021, SCA entered into a content partnership with Sky News Australia to launch free-to-air Sky News Regional, replacing the earlier Sky News service on WIN.
Following a return to affiliation with Network 10 on 1 July 2021, Southern Cross Austereo recommenced producing local news updates under the 10 News First banner for its Network 10 stations. These updates are created in Launceston (Queensland) and Hobart (serving Southern NSW and Victoria), presented by Ruby Cairns, Daniel Pizarro, and Kasey Wilkins. Typically produced by a single journalist without supplementary video footage, these segments also feature substitute presenters such as Will Boddy, Rebecca Gaitaneris, Philippa Christian, and Madeline Kerr.
On 13 April 2023, Southern Cross Austereo unexpectedly terminated the GTS/BKN bulletin. This closure ended over five decades of local news broadcasting in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill, leaving those communities without dedicated local television news coverage.
Queensland
New South Wales
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | Triple M Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Albury1 | 2AAY "Hit104.9 The Border" (104.9 MHz FM) | 2BDR "Triple M The Border" (105.7 MHz FM) |
1.Translators for 2BDR operate on 90.1 MHz in Omeo and 96.5 MHz in Corryong, with an additional translator for 2AAY in Corryong at 95.7 MHz.
2.Translators broadcast on 100.7 MHz and 102.3 MHz within Port Macquarie.
Australian Capital Territory
| Licence area | Hit Network Stations | ARN's KIIS Network Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Canberra | 1ROC "Hit104.7 Canberra" (104.7 MHz FM) |
Victoria
1. Also broadcast via a repeater on 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 also relayed on 1134 kHz AM in Collie, Western Australia, and on 756 kHz AM covering Busselton and the Margaret River area.
Digital radio
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) provides a range of digital-exclusive radio channels, such as the seasonal Santa Radio, Buddha Hits featuring pop, electronica, and acoustic styles, Oldskool 80s and 90s Hits, RnB Fridays, Dance Hits, Kids Hits, and SoundCloud Radio which showcases independent musicians through a collaboration with SoundCloud. The Triple M network also extends into digital formats including Triple M 90s, Classic Rock, Hard 'N' Heavy, Country, and Soft Rock stations.
In 2021, SCA made a strategic investment in Sonnant, an AI-powered content discovery firm, to improve metadata quality for its digital audio offerings, facilitating enhanced listener engagement and revenue opportunities.
Internet radio
Launched in February 2021 with an initial lineup of 15 music stations, SCA’s LiSTNR platform has grown to encompass a wide array of channels catering to diverse genres and audience segments. The station roster includes easy listening options like Almost Acoustic and Good Vibes; pop and chart-focused channels such as Blender Beats, Top 30, and Trending Now; rock-oriented stations including Rock 'n' Road Trip and Indie & Alt; decade-themed formats like 70s Hits, 80s New Wave, and 90s Soft Pop; specialized markets including Indigenous music and Kids Hits; as well as ambient soundscape collections under the Sound States series. Recent expansions feature partnerships like Mushroom 50 in collaboration with Mushroom Records.
Looking ahead to 2025, LiSTNR plans to introduce new stations reflecting global trends like K-Pop and Chill Electronic alongside mood-driven channels such as Pride and RnB Chill. This expansion strategy supports SCA’s ambition to engage an increasingly varied digital audio audience across multiple market niches.
Podcasts
The LiSTNR application by SCA offers a curated selection of US PodcastOne shows in addition to a broad range of Australian podcasts. Notable contributors include Hamish Blake, Dylan Alcott, Christopher Pyne, and Rosie Waterland. Among its news offerings is The Briefing, hosted by presenters including Sacha Barbour Gatt, Chris Spyrou, Natarsha Belling, Helen Smith, and Antoinette Lattouf.
Advertising sales
Beyond overseeing advertising for its own media properties, SCA managed advertising sales for Nine's NBN Television starting from 1 July 2018 until these responsibilities were transferred first to WIN on 1 July 2021 and later to Nine Entertainment on 1 July 2022.
Radio
After acquiring DMG Radio's regional stations in 2005, Macquarie Southern Cross Media was compelled to sell several stations:
- To ARN Media (most later rebranded as "Zinc"):
- 4CA (Cairns)
- Sea FM and Mix-FM (Townsville)
- 4MK (Mackay)
- 4RO and 4CC (Rockhampton/Gladstone)
- To Ace Radio:
- 2AY (Albury-Wodonga)
Further divestments were required following the purchase of Southern Cross Broadcasting assets in 2008 to comply with regulatory diversity requirements:
- To Grant Broadcasters (Tasmania):
- 7LA (Launceston), 7BU and 7SEA (Burnie), 7SD and 7RGS (Scottsdale), 7AD and 7DDD (Devonport), 7XS and 7AUS (Queenstown)
- To Resonate Broadcasting:
- 3GG (Warragul), 4GC and Hot FM (Charters Towers)
- To Smart Radio/Pinecam Pty Ltd:
- 4HI (Emerald), Heart 1071 (Kingaroy), 4LM (Mount Isa), 4ZR (Roma)
- To Broadcast Operations Group:
- 2LF and Star FM (Young)
- To Coastal Broadcasters Pty Ltd:
- 4AM (Atherton)
In addition, Southern Cross Austereo sold the Sunshine Coast stations 91.9 Sea FM and 92.7 Mix FM in 2013 due to licensing conflicts with Brisbane coverage; these were acquired by Eon Broadcasting.
Television
In the fall of 2017, Southern Cross Austereo finalized the sale of its Northern NSW station affiliated with Channel 10, NRN, to WIN Television for $55 million following extended discussions. By 2025, Southern Cross Austereo divested its owned and operated regional TV outlets to the 10 Network and Seven West Media, which also included its stakes in several jointly managed stations.
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
- BDN – Nine in Broken Hill¹
- BKN – Seven serving Broken Hill¹
- SCN – 10 broadcasting in Broken Hill¹
- CTC – Channel 10 for Canberra and Southern New South Wales
Northern Territory and Remote Eastern Australia
- Central Digital Television (CDT) – Channel 10 Central, jointly owned with Imparja Television Pty Ltd²
- DTD – Channel 10 in Darwin, co-owned with the Nine Network²
- QQQ – Channel Seven Central
- TND – Channel Seven Darwin
Queensland
- IDQ – Central Digital Television (Channel 10) in Mount Isa, co-owned with Imparja Television Pty Ltd²
- ITQ – Channel Seven in Mount Isa
- TNQ – Channel 10 Regional Queensland
South Australia
- GDS – Nine Network serving the Spencer Gulf¹
- GTS – Seven Network in the Spencer Gulf¹
- SGS – Network 10 broadcasting to the Spencer Gulf¹
Tasmania
- TDT – Channel 10 Tasmania, jointly owned with WIN Television²
- TNT – Seven Network Tasmania
Victoria
1. At the time of sale, Southern Cross held exclusive commercial television rights in these markets; apart from GTS and BKN, other channels were Adelaide retransmissions featuring local advertising.
2. Digital-only channels co-owned by existing commercial broadcasters.
Ownership and control
In February 2006, the Australian Communications & Media Authority launched an investigation into Elmie Investments, owned by Stuart Simpson, regarding its ownership of five radio stations largely financed by Macquarie Regional RadioWorks. These stations—EasyMix Ten-71 Bendigo, EasyMix 1467 Mildura, 4EL Cairns, 4AA Mackay, and Easy Mix 621 Bunbury—operated in areas where RadioWorks already possessed two commercial licences. By November 2007, RadioWorks was found to have violated the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Prior to the conclusion of the inquiry, Elmie Investments divested these stations.
Kyle & Jackie O child rape victim incident
In 2009, following a broadcast on the Kyle and Jackie O Show where a 14-year-old girl underwent a lie detector test and was pressured to discuss her sexual history live on air, 2Day FM was mandated to improve child protection measures. Host Kyle Sandilands pressed both the girl and her mother to disclose whether she was sexually active, resulting in the girl's admission: "I got raped when I was 12 years old." Kyle then questioned if that was her sole experience.
Summer 30 royal prank call controversy
In a widely publicized prank, 2Day FM hosts Mike Christian and Mel Greig posed as the Queen and Prince of Wales to contact King Edward VII's Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge was receiving treatment for severe morning sickness. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, aged 46, answered the call and unintentionally disclosed confidential patient details. Tragically, she was discovered deceased the following day, with her death suspected to be a suicide.
The hospital expressed legal concerns regarding the event, while Rhys Holleran, CEO of Southern Cross Austereo—the parent company of 2Day FM—asserted that no laws had been violated. Nevertheless, a classified report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) later determined that 2Day FM had breached regulations by airing the call without obtaining permission.
See also
- Seven (Southern Cross Austereo)
- 10 (Southern Cross Austereo)
- Hit Network
- Triple M
- RadioWorks
- American RadioWorks