Tim Blackwell, one of the Nova Network’s most respected announcers and music broadcast journalists, is celebrating 20 years with NOVA Entertainment.

Tim says, “20 years with the same company on paper sounds a little dull, I get that! But during my time I’ve had so many different roles, worked in just about every state in Australia, headed overseas for interviews and had a ball the whole time… still waiting for that gold watch though?”

Having spent 20 years in key roles with some of the Nova Network’s biggest shows, working alongside high profile announcers and interviewing some of the biggest artists and personalities, Tim got his start in radio on Nova 100 Melbourne as a late-night announcer in 2001 after graduating from AFTRS.

The following year he was given an opportunity every music lover and broadcaster would envy, an interview the Red Hot Chili Peppers and to be the first voice on air for the launch of Nova’s new Perth station, Nova 93.7.

A move to Sydney to host Nova 96.9’s local drive show preceded Blackwell joining Nova 100’s heritage breakfast show, Hughesy & Kate, as anchor. Learning the ropes from the two respected announcers, Tim’s abilities were recognised with an offer to host Nova 106.9’s Brisbane breakfast show.

The show relocated to Sydney in September 2011 to became Nova’s ACRA award winning national drive show, more recently morphing into the Kate, Tim & Joel drive show when Joel Creasey joined Kate Ritchie and Tim Blackwell on 14 September 2020.

Tim says, “Sitting behind a radio desk has given me a front row seat with some of the biggest personalities in the country…it’s a strangely intimate job spending hours a day in an air-tight room with people – you make life long friends.”

 His experience and passion for connecting audiences with the music artists he had met and interviewed since he joined Nova in 2001, took shape with the launch of his podcast series Introducing with Tim Blackwell. The podcast was an opportunity for the audience to delve deeper into and support some of Australia’s most talented artists and bands that Tim had become mates with over the past 20 years.

A second series of the podcast has just launched on the NOVA Entertainment Podcast Network (NEPN).

Tim joins an impressive line-up of programming employees, both on and off air, with over 10 years tenure with NOVA Entertainment across the Nova and smoothfm Networks, FIVEaa and Star 104.5.

• Nova Network on air announcers – Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small – Smallzy’s Surgery (16 years), Nova 97.3’s Nathan, Nat & Shaun Perth breakfast show – Natalie Locke and Nathan Morris (19 years) & Shaun McManus (12 years), Nova 106.9’s Ash, Kip & Luttsy (16 years) – Brisbane’s Ash, Kip, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill  breakfast show, Fitzy (17 years) & Wippa (14 years) and Sarah McGilvray – announcer (10 years) from Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa Sydney breakfast show, Jamie Row – Nova 100 & Nova 96.9 announcer (16 years over two stints) and David Lennon – announcer (10 years)

• smoothfm on air – Mike Perso – More Music Breakfast Show host (16 years over two stints) and Ty Frost – morning announcer (25 years over two stints)

• FIVEaa on air & news – David Wildy – announcer (26 years), Graham Cornes – announcer (26 years),Matthew Pantelis – announcer & news (25 years), Stephen Rowe – announcer (24 years), Kendall Brettig – News (23), Ken Cunningham – announcer (22 years over two stints), Leon Byner – announcer (21 years), Leith Forrest – announcer (21 years), Tony Pilkington – announcer (20 years over two stints) and Tom Rehn – announcer (10.8 years)

• Star 104.5 – Dave ‘Rabbit’ Rabbetts – breakfast announcer (14 years over two stints)

Under the leadership of Chief Programming & Marketing Officer, Paul Jackson, with 11 years tenure with the business, NOVA has a rich array of experience in the programming team off air including Tammii Caught – FIVEaa Producer (27 years), Craig Munn – FIVEaa Program Director (18 years over two stints), Dee Curtis – Nova 106.9 Assistant PD & Brand & Promotions Director (16 years), Sarah Fletcher – DAB and Syndicated Operations  (16 years), Kate Mason – Head of Music for smooth Network (16 years over several stints), Jordan Marshall – Nova 919 Brand & Promotions Assistant Director (14 years), Dave McClung – Nova (14 years), Brendan Taylor – Group Program Operations Director (13 years), Angela McBride – FIVEaa Producer (13 years), Jane Elliott – Publicity Director (13 years), Jess Bath – EP Kate, Tim & Joel (12 years), Tom Ivey – Fitzy & Wippa Executive Producer (12 years), Nick Marwe – Nova 919 EP (11 years), Peter Clay – Head of Head of Programming Nova 96.9 & smoothfm network (10 years) and Zach La Cava – Smallzy’s Surgery EP (10 years).

In a big week for the Nova Network, Tim Blackwell celebrates 20 years, Fitzy & Wippa mark 10 years as Nova 96.9’s breakfast show and it’s one year since Joel Creasey joined the Kate, Tim & Joel drive show.