Jan 30, 2026 update: For the latest news on the sale of Nine Radio, click here.
As if things weren’t tense enough in the world of radio at the start of another year, a report in The Australian today has put paid to some people’s ideas of a white knight charging in to “rescue” Nine Radio.
According to Steve Jackson’s report for The Australian, both John “Singo” Singleton (and his business partner Jack Cowin) and Australian Digital Holdings have pulled out of negotiations to buy the radio network, which includes 4BC in Brisbane.
Jackson writes:
“Sources claimed prospective purchasers had been astounded to discover Nine’s radio division… was far less profitable than it first appeared after being granted access to the business’s books over the summer.
“Among their chief concerns was the staggering amount Nine’s television division was paying each year to help cover its radio hosts’ salaries even though they rarely, if ever, appeared on Nine’s television channels.”
In what must be a concern for those working at the radio stations, the report goes on to say:
Sources said suitors were further alarmed to discover that Nine Radio’s incumbent management team was continuing to target existing on-air staff for redundancies in the middle of the sales process, with some suggesting it meant Nine was not actually serious about selling its audio assets at all.
The report raises a lot of questions, not just about the viability of Nine Radio, but of radio in general.
It notes that Singleton sold his 32% stake in the radio assets (then known as Macquarie Media) to Nine for $80 million in 2019, but recent market analysis had valued the entire Nine Radio operation as low as $25–$30 million.
Bear in mind that, while 4BC isn’t setting the world on fire ratings-wise, 2GB and 3AW are both at the top of the ratings tree.
The Australian has previously reported that Ray Hadley (pictured above) would return to the Nine Radio line-up if Singleton were the successful bidder. So, I guess that’s not happening.
P.S.
Thank you to James Cridland, who has emailed me some insights and clarifications on my post from earlier today, which was titled Who Listens to the Radio? I’ll be revisiting that topic in the future. Mind you, given the above, perhaps I should be asking, Who Wants to Own a Radio Network?
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Disclosure: Brett Debritz used to work for Nine Radio.