• Macquarie Radio reveals new management structure under Russell Tate & Adam Lang
• Sales: Nick Randall, Mark Noakes; State chiefs: Paul Bowd, Stephen Beers and Liz Illidge
• Departing: 3AW’s Clark Forbes and Rob Curtain, 2UE’s Chris Parker & 4BC’s Anthony Frangi
Following the completion of the merger of the operations of Fairfax Radio Network and Macquarie Radio Network on March 31 into the publicly listed Macquarie Radio Network, the company has revealed a new national management structure for the combined businesses.
The new business brings together in one network the number one rating metro radio stations in Sydney and Melbourne, 2GB and 3AW respectively, together with other News Talk stations 2UE (Sydney), 4BC (Brisbane) and 6PR (Perth) and music stations Magic 1278 (Melbourne), Magic 882 (Brisbane) and 2CH (Sydney).
The company will be led by Russell Tate, who will continue in the role of executive chairman of MRN, and Adam Lang, previously managing director of FRN, as chief operating officer.
Lisa Young remains chief financial officer reporting to Russell Tate. Young will lead the finance function with the support of Deanne Hassett, formerly finance director of FRN, who assumes the same role in MRN.
In sales, Nick Randall, previously FRN national sales director, will head the combined national agency sales team, while Mark Noakes, previously MRN group sales director, will head the national direct sales team.
New operations directors, reporting to Lang, have been appointed to handle program and station production issues, news, sales, promotions, engineering and online. Effective from May 1, Paul Bowd, previously MRN’s agency sales director, has been appointed operations director Sydney. Stephen Beers, previously FRN Melbourne’s chief engineer, has been appointed operations director Melbourne. Liz Illidge, previously FR Brisbane sales director, has been appointed operations director Brisbane. Continuing in their existing roles will be Martin Boylen as general manager Perth, William Barrington as general manager of syndication and Jonathan Champion as general manager of SMA.
As a consequence of implementing the new structure, national content director Clark Forbes, national news director and Melbourne acting GM Rob Curtain, Sydney GM Chris Parker and Brisbane GM Anthony Frangi will leave the business.
Adam Lang thanked those departing: “We are grateful for the dedication, passion, professionalism and great character of Clark, Rob, Chris and Anthony. We thank them for all that they have given to our company. They have each played a valuable role in building a national network and setting our business up for this next stage of its growth and evolution.”