Multiple restructures underway at Nova Entertainment

Former Publisher

Multiple media outlets are reporting a swag of restructures within NOVA Entertainment this week.

Changes include a reorganisarion of news operations and more “duel programming” for the Nova Network.

Let’s start inside the NE newsroom, where there are two confirmed casualties.

Perth-based drive newsreader, Gemma Varone, and Melbourne-based News Editor, James Royce, are set to depart the company.

Radio Today understands that a national bulletin from Sydney is sufficient enough for Kate, Tim & Marty‘s top-rating national drive show. However, if a major local story breaks, a localised bulletin will air.

Sports news will also be localised to accommodate for each city’s preferred code.

The second major shakeup is happening on the Nova Network.

Nova 96.9 Sydney-based morning jock and comedian Greg Burns, who hosts the same shift in Melbourne on Nova 100, will also tackle Brisbane and Adelaide mornings, with local breaks during his 9am to 1pm show.

As a result, Burns replaces Nova 106.9 Brisbane morning presenter, Katie Mattin, who will move to afternoons, which, according to The Courier-Mail, leaves Tim Wong-See in search of a new gig.

At Nova 91.9 Adelaide, Burns replaces morning host Cale Porter. Insiders tell us that Porter is to remain with Nova to cover a weekend shift.

Radio Today also understands that no changes are to happen in Perth, where current morning host, Ross Wallman, is expected to remain on-air.

There is a third and final key personnel change at Nova 91.9 Adelaide, hopefully rounding out the end of year shuffle.

Multiple sources have told Radio Today that Dave Shearer, Nova 91.9’s much-loved PD since 2012, has “amicably” parted ways with the network, effective immediately.

We’re told Nova 100 PD, Rohan Brown, will oversee both brekkie and the Adelaide station, from Melbourne.

NOVA Entertainment has been contacted for comment.

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Jan
3 Nov 2017 - 11:57 am

WHAT!!??

Paul J was on record (audio) on this very website less than 12 months ago saying it won’t happen in the remaining markets? I thought Brisbane were killing it?!

Bruce
3 Nov 2017 - 12:35 pm

Is this a cost saving measure or do they think the world needs more Greg Burns?

Warren
3 Nov 2017 - 12:36 pm

Where is Dave Shearer going ? Top bloke and a top programmer. May end up at ARN I hear.

PJC
3 Nov 2017 - 12:37 pm

Is anyone actually really surprised by this!? When this was pushed on to Melbourne, those other announcers in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth should have started exploring other options.. seriously Ross – start looking now!

This is silly though, if Nova wanted a national shift to build Greg’s profile, why not just have him do a networked Afternoon show and call it ‘Early Drive’.

Justin
3 Nov 2017 - 1:06 pm

Sad day for radio in Australia.
Nova Melbourne is a ghost town, with studios completely empty from 9am-6am.
The writing was on the wall from the very beginning I suppose, it’s just now materializing.

Kelly
3 Nov 2017 - 1:55 pm

Brissie needs more pommy announcers

The bull frog
3 Nov 2017 - 2:42 pm

Hearing that Nova Brisbane as well as Nova Adelaide will have no CD’s anymore. Cool. The lunatics running the asylum(s)

West
3 Nov 2017 - 5:02 pm

Hey Kelly they do! Katie on Nova is a pom and was on mornings, but as she’s married to the GM it only seems right she do arvos. So you’ll get pom pom 9 to 4. #workperks

Smithy
3 Nov 2017 - 5:45 pm

Great to see the license fee relief/savings hard at work creating more jobs and local content. What a joke.

Anonymous
3 Nov 2017 - 5:58 pm

It makes no sense to me. They must be paying Greg bulk $$$ plus I believe he has an assistant working with him. So what are they really saving?

Seems like they stuffed up and are now trying to justify his salary.

KLP
3 Nov 2017 - 6:00 pm

An audio production staff memeber at nova919 was also let go during the week

Tan
3 Nov 2017 - 6:04 pm

Has anyone seen Sydney and Melbourne daytime ratings lately? Aren’t they the 2 lowest performance stations in the network? Just wondering? What a mess.

Adam
3 Nov 2017 - 6:28 pm

This is a joke! Cale is the only reason I listen to nova in the mornings!!!

Claire
3 Nov 2017 - 7:10 pm

What a shame. What used to be a great network has now disappeared, the “Novaboy” just turned in his grave.
On a side, are we meant to believe that there is no announcer in Australia good enough to do the job or it’s it just a jobs for mates thing going on here with Greg Burns.

Justine
3 Nov 2017 - 8:07 pm

Greg Burns is the worst thing to ever hit nova. U can hear him suck up his spit with each break. I never listen to their day time. Kate time and marty are their best thing. Have more shows like this! And HOW is fitzy & whippa still there when they never rate?

Brad
3 Nov 2017 - 8:51 pm

Swapping Nova’s best rating mornings show for Novas worst rating mornings show in Brisbane????? Makes no sense. Greg hasn’t worked in either markets so far so good luck in more!

Wayne
3 Nov 2017 - 11:42 pm

I refuse to listen to Greg Burns in Sydney so why would the other states listen to him. He has a horrible voice and accent. It’s Australia mate and there are plenty of good announcers with Aussie accents.

Rach
4 Nov 2017 - 5:50 am

Not being rude to Greg, but most people I know in Melbourne can’t stand listening to his show. It’s just not relatable and I don’t feel the average Aussie is connecting with what he offers.

Brisbane was doing incredibly well, why even risk that to save a small salary? They won’t go up, so it’s either stay flat for a while or drop like Melbourne and Sydney have…..what’s the positive apart from Greg personally gaining exposure??

Private
4 Nov 2017 - 5:56 am

Can someone from NE explain the reasoning behind all these moves? It’s ovviously to save some money, but why? Why are they tampering with product quality purely to save coin? You simply can’t get the same quality having one annoucer doing 5 markets in workday. You can try, it will work, listeners won’t know BUT the quality won’t be as high.

Mark
4 Nov 2017 - 5:59 am

Rumours, and I repeat rumours, are telling us remaining local afternoon shifts will go end of next year plus more programming roles to streamline Nova.

Claire
4 Nov 2017 - 6:04 am

I’m currently working in regional radio and my goal was to make it to a capital city for a daytime gig. This just makes it harder and harder for me. I understand it’s a business and they don’t owe me opportunies but I do believe the Government / ACMA should be doing more to help. The license should state what percentage of shows need to be produced locally (just like it states how much Australian Music needs to be played).

They should put this in the license and state 6am-3pm must remain local. For the purpose of jobs, listeners and the industry. NE won’t go broke just because they have some local announcers….come on guys….

Claire
4 Nov 2017 - 6:23 am

As someone who’s in Sales for another media company in SA this is laughable. Nova have been a huge supporter for the I Choose SA campaign which includes publicly supporting SA jobs and choosing SA made products and services. I know for a fact this was a large campaign and worth a considerable amount of revenue. AdelaideNOW should do a story here.

Jonesy
4 Nov 2017 - 11:08 am

Justin- Marty (the number 1 drive show and novas best talent) comes out of Melbourne studio mate. Ghost town 9am-4pm then 6pm-6am you mean?

Tommy
4 Nov 2017 - 12:21 pm

The worst programming mistake Nova have ever made. Not networking mornings but networking Greg Burns. This will cost Nova.

Clint
4 Nov 2017 - 11:13 pm

Nova what are you doing , do you even care about listeners the people who turn on the radio. They want to hear what is going on in their city and Yeah they will work out that Greg Burns is sitting in a studio in Sydney. I have lived in Brisbane and that station is successful , they play lots of ads and rate well , why oh why change it. Your playing with fire because guess what you might not care about listeners but your advertisers do . And Greg Burns don’t feel bad when you start rating a 4 share in Brisbane and Adelaide, it’s not your fault the strategy is flawed . Australian cap cities deserve an announcer in every market . Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne listeners and advertisers deserve better . Disappointing Nova.

Hmmm
5 Nov 2017 - 4:49 pm

I agree Clint. Advertisers will find out what’s happening here. Questions will be asked? Why is the network being so cheap and trying to cut so many costs.

All well a good to say what about Drive, what about nights…thing is opposition IS LOCAL during day and can now dominate. Look at Fox v Nova melb….

W.D
5 Nov 2017 - 7:54 pm

Didn’t Nova make 3 finance managers redundant a few weeks ago? Plus a few sales managers and promotions members? What’s brought all this on? Clearly a cost cutting exercise….

$$
6 Nov 2017 - 10:45 am

Pretty clear what’s happening here. Financial controllers made redundant, sales and integration people redundant, production staff redundant, local CD redundant, more dual programming, barely any workday announcers….it smells like “sale” time.

Either that or Greg Burns is on ridiculous money and the morning ratings in Sydney and Melbourne have cost them dearly. Not to mention his producer wages too. A case of how do we make it look like we know what we’re doing….

Ryan
6 Nov 2017 - 5:21 pm

Does anyone understand why they are networking such a terrible show? Isn’t Greg number 4 or even number 5 in Sydney? The worst rating hit music station? Isn’t Brisbane number 1? So much confusion

Craig
6 Nov 2017 - 7:36 pm

Program Director Paul Jackson less than 12 months ago in a Radio Radio Today interview discussing “duel programming”.

“there is no, let me stress this 100%, there is no aim or ambition to do this anywhere else”.

We think it fits Sydney and Melbourne. We have no interest doing this anywhere else at any other point in time.

Again, this was less than 12 months ago.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s 4 announcers gone and only 4 left.

Spent too much on that new logo launch if you ask me.

Bob Principal
7 Nov 2017 - 3:23 pm

Nova selling…………guess who?

Nova cuts costs – artificially raising profit… task: find a strategic buyer who is willing to pay more than anyone else ……then sell !!

New owner – NEWS LIMITED ! Paid for by shareholders.

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