The people at dmg certainly know how to throw a party. CEO Cathy O’Connor joked that here they were barely into February and already David Borean, Sydney manager of Nova and Vega, had blown the entire year’s promotional budget on last night’s bash for 400 media and advertiser types at Sydney’s newly rediscovered old Eveleigh railway sheds where Masterchef is filmed.

With all the changes at Nova 969 this year, if they’re ever going to fire all their guns at once, now was the time to do it.

Much rests on the new breakfast show. The old firm of Merrick and Rosso has split and Merrick Watts, who after launching with the station almost a decade ago is now considered a veteran of youth radio, has been joined by newby’s Scott Dooley and Ricki-Lee Coulter.

After just three weeks on air together, reviews have been mixed, but everyone radioinfo spoke to last night agreed that the show “sounds different.” Different to last year, at least. Still, not a bad thing for the Nova ethos. But will it rate?

Yet while all ears were on Merrick as he joked his way through a powerpoint presentation subtly suggesting to the gathered media buyers to support the new line-up, the paparazzi’s eyes and cameras were focused on the real star of the show, new half owner of dmg Radio Australia Lachlan Murdoch.

It was he, with a very pregnant Sarah O’Hare by his side, that seemed to pull all into orbit around him. “I had a drink with him last night,” confides networked drive time co-host Michael Wipfli aka Wippa, “He’s a really nice guy, just one of the boys.”