ARN and Mike E and Emma’s mutual split

In a recent interview with Radioinfo, ARN’s CEO Ciaran Davis broke his silence regarding Mike E and Emma’s sudden departure from The Edge 96.1, detailing expansion plans for the station that contributed to the pair leaving.

Mr Davis revealed ARN plans to relaunch The Edge, and when asked if Mike E and Emma’s parting or the move along came first, he said it was “a bit of both to be honest.”

“We were sorry to see Mike E and Emma go, they have a very successful form of broadcasting – they’re very good at it – but it probably just didn’t fit where we want to take the station going forward,” said Davis.

Mike E and Emma suddenly left The Edge in December with no sign of future plans before eventually announcing their new 7am-10am morning slot on LiSTNR’s RnB Fridays Radio, which launched on 28^thFebruary.

ARN plans on relaunching The Edge as a national youth brand distributed on iHeartradio, broadcast radio and DAB+, with Hip Hop, RnB music and youth culture content for 15-29 year-olds.

“It’s really the only station that targets that RnB, Hip Hop genre, which is the leading genre in the worldwide and in Australia too,” said Davis.

“We know through the social engagement that we have, and the numbers we see coming through that the format is really well liked, but equally we know that if we were to try to relaunch The Edge as something different, it can’t just be the old radio model.”

“If we get this right there’s a real opportunity to build a new audience for it and a new incremental revenue.”

The expansion of The Edge with the integration of the former Grant Broadcasters into ARN Regional is expected to bring an expanded audience offering for advertisers beyond the successful metro stations.

The new Edge is expected to launch nationally in the last part of this year.

As for Mike E and Emma, it’s same same, but different. Their new LiSTNR show launched yesterday and it’s business as usual for the pair.

Listen to the full interview with Ciaran Davis below.