A few years ago the Radio Conference was abuzz with disparate owners from all over Australia hobnobbing it with their city slicker counterparts. In 2008, with the exception of the redoubtable Ron Camplin (2BS/B-Rock, Bathurst), Dave Robertson (4LG/WestFM, Longreach)and Grant Cameron there were no “owners” in sight, just senior executives from corporate entities. Even they were thin on the ground. No M. Anderson or P. Harvie from Austereo. And, predictably, no Caralis. Ooops! I missed one. Guy Dobson was there.
Dobson, you say? Isn’t Dobbo Network PD (excuuuse me – Content Director) for Austereo? Yes indeed he is, but he and colleague, Rex Morris, also head Resonate Broadcasting which recently purchased 3GG, Warragul and 4GC/HOT FM 95.9 in Charters Towers. Maybe they represent the new breed of owners. See our story on Resonate. Question is, how many stations will Resonate own before Dobbo stops coming to the Conference?
While new owners may be scarce, there’s no shortage of young talent at the ACRAs. Dancing Judge, Nigel Lythgoe hit the nail on the head when he applauded the industry for encouraging fresh talent by including country and provincial nominees on the same stage as metro.
Macquarie Southern Cross Media, as the biggest employer of such talent, held 196 of the 800 seats at the show. Little wonder they won the most awards. But for all the criticism they’ve copped about networking and cutting staff, it is hard to deny that they remain an effective incubator of future stars, providing a clear career path for the hard working and the talented.
The event has never been perfect, but the ACRAs seem to have found an adequate compromise between the drinks, the dinner, the entertainment and the awards.
What do you think?
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