Former Austereo CEO Michael Anderson has joined the board of Fairfax Media, which owns the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, suburban newspapers, rural press and talk radio stations 2UE, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR, music stations Magic, 4BH and 96fm, plus a small number of digital and regional stations. Anderson, who left Austereo in January, begins his board duties immediately.

Anderson has had a long career in the radio industry including six years as Chief Executive of Austereo from 2003. He began his Austereo career in sales in 1990 and moved through various senior executive roles before becoming CEO. During his time as Chief Executive he focussed the company on building strong station brands and adapting the business to the changing media market including building and maintaining market leadership and developing new strategic directions. He launched a nationwide digital network and Australia’s first digital radio station.

In the face of structural change in the newspaper industry, Fairfax is in a period of strategic change and will unveil a new five-year strategic plan next month, prepared by chief executive Brian McCarthy and reviewed by management consultants Bain & Co.

The company recently announced a full-year net profit of $282.1 million. The Radio Division had a 15% growth in profit to $28.7 million in the latest annual report, one of the company’s few divisions to show significant percentage growth on the previous year.

Former Fairfax journalist and now Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria, Greg Hywood has also been appointed to the board.

Fairfax Chairman Roger Corbett says the appointment of the new directors marks the completion of the Board renewal process which began in late 2009. “The addition of Michael’s and Greg’s skills and experience to the Board is a very good complement to our existing Board. I believe the newly constituted Board is a great combination to guide the Company into its future in the exciting and challenging world of new media.”