Singo's troupers ready to strike

JOHN Singleton's Macquarie Radio Network will reveal plans next week to crack the Melbourne radio market, amid suggestions he is looking to bolster the company for a sell-off.

MRN's move to Melbourne is at a frantic time for the radio sector. Lachlan Murdoch has taken a hands-on role in his $110 million investment in Nova and Vega parent DMG Nova will relaunch in two weeks and new chief executives and format changes are under way for all major operators.

MRN executive chairman Russell Tate confirmed an announcement about plans for a Melbourne talk station in partnership with Pacific Star Network, which owns AM stations SEN and 3MP, was slated for next week. At least two on-air personalities would be revealed. Speculation has been rife for a month that former 2UE announcer Steve Price was to be part of MRN's Melbourne cast.

Fairfax Radio chief executive Graham Mott said Price had this week asked for an early release from his termination contract but this was declined.

Price's contract ends on February 28.

Elsewhere there were suggestions Mr Singleton had repeatedly sought a buyer for MRN in recent years, the latest attempt being in the middle of last year, without success.

"That's just bullshit," Mr Tate said. "If Singo's been any place trying to sell Macquarie I don't know about it.

"It's not part of any planning I know of, but our competitors are very wise people, so they would know many of these things."

More broadly, the radio sector is lining up for intense competition.

There will be new chief executives at Austereo (2Day and Triple M networks), and Australian Radio Network (Mix and Classic Hits FM) is looking to revamp its stations and increase revenue.

ARN's new Irish import, Ciaran Davis, previously commercial director at European radio network Communicorp, said the health of the Australian radio industry was striking compared with Europe, where some countries were down 40 per cent in revenues.

The British market was off by 25 per cent, Mr Davis said.

In contrast, radio here fared well through last year's economic upheaval, with the $520 million industry contracting about 3 per cent.

He said the March quarter for ARN would remain tight but forecast revenue growth of 2.5 per cent for the rest of the year.

"Australia is just at the other end of the scale to the radio business in Europe," he said. "We've made a lot of changes [to ARN] and it's just a question of tweaking that and bringing a little more innovation in how we deliver product to our listeners.

"There won't be anything dramatic. I think the first quarter will be a bit tight but we'll see a bit of growth in the mid to back end of the year about 2.5 per cent."

Mr Mott concurred. "We haven't really determined [revenue growth] yet but I think a 2.5 per cent would be the minimal increase we're looking at," he said.