The Austereo network has moved quickly to appoint a new National Marketing Manager, after the sudden departure of Richard Howarth, who spent only three months in the job.
Jeremy Macvean joins Austereo from advertising agency, Young & Rubicam in Melbourne, where he was the senior account director on Yellow Pages and Dunlop Tyres.
He has also worked at J Walter Thompson and Clemenger Harvie Edge, where he was responsible for a wide variety of brands including Austereo’s Triple M.
Austereo CEO, Michael Anderson, says: “We were very impressed with Jeremy when he worked on the Triple M account and we’re delighted to have him join us.
“His experience will help Austereo continue to position its two networks, Triple M and Today, as the leading radio brands in the country.”
Macvean says: “Music has always been a big part of my life. I’ve loved working with Austereo in the past and can’t wait to join the team.
“This is an exciting time in radio and I’m looking forward to working closely with the programming, sales’ and promotions’ teams to maintain Austereo’s leading position.”
Macvean will start next month and be based in Melbourne, as part of Austereo’s move to align the national programming and marketing roles more closely. This was the official reason given for Howarth’s shock departure from the national marketing role last Friday – his unwillingness to relocate to Victoria.
Howarth’s exit prompted immediate speculation and doubts about the recent relaunch of the Triple M network.
In a brief statement last Friday, Michael Anderson said he and Howarth had decided the group marketing role should be moved to Melbourne: “Richard and his family have commitments in Sydney that make it impossible for him to move to Melbourne.”
Triple M, in the past two years, has overhauled its drive and breakfast programs to attract younger listeners without alienating its older audience.
Earlier this week, Austereo appointed a ‘Client Strategist’ for the Brisbane market. Former Account Manager at Neilsen Media Research, John Musgrove, will start on 6 September and has spent more than 25 years in radio.
Austereo Brisbane General Manager, Richard Barker, describes the appointment as significant and yet another step in the right direction for Austereo: “The radio world is ever changing and John’s appointment is a reflection of that. We very much look forward to having him on board, knowing he’ll bring a wealth of experience and expertise.
“He will become an exceptional resource for Austereo Brisbane, enabling the company to provide even more efficient radio solutions for its clients. Those clients and Brisbane advertising agencies will have access to John Musgrove’s enormous wealth of knowledge in radio research.”
Musgrove is a fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute and, most recently, designed and implemented the radio lectures for the Bachelor of Communications Degree at Queensland University of Technology.
The appointments of Musgrove and Jeremy Macvean have been overshadowed by the escalating fallout over Austereo hiring former Communications Minister, Richard Alston, as a consultant.