Nova 96.9
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Nova 96.9 FM
Broadcast area	Sydney, Australia
Slogan	Nova Recommends New Music First
Frequency	96.9 MHz FM
First air date	April 1, 2001
Format	Pop, Rock, Rap
ERP	150 kw
Callsign meaning	2-New South Wales SYD-Sydney
Owner	DMG Radio Australia
Website	www.nova969.com.au

Nova 96.9 (call sign: 2SYD) is a commercial radio station operating in Sydney, Australia, owned by the DMG Radio Network.

The station has a unique position of playing 'never more than two ads in a row', a policy that it claims to strictly adhere to. It can be noted that Nova tends to have more ad blocks than other stations. However the total number of ads played is reported to be significantly less than other commercial FM stations in the Sydney area, This does mean that their ad reveneue compared to the other high rating Austereo station 2Day FM has a larger profit from advertising, even though both have similar ratings.¹

History

One of the driving forces behind the creation of Nova was the growing demographic of youth who were embracing the commercialised anti-pop movement fronted by such artists as Daft Punk & Spiderbait, but for whom Triple J had no commercial incentives to offer. Initially the music was very similar to Triple J's style, and number of the station presenters were Ex ABC Triple J staff.

However Triple J retained its alternative style, while Nova has drifted towards a more commercial format and other stations adopted Nova's more varied playlist, to the point where Nova now is hard to tell apart from other commercial FM stations. Along with its sister stations Nova 100 Melbourne, Nova 106.9 Brisbane, Nova 91.9 Adelaide and Nova 93.7 Perth, Nova now claims to be Australia's leading under 40's brand.²

Nova 96.9 can be heard on 96.9 FM in the Greater Sydney region. For all intents and purposes, it can be received in all Sydney suburbs, west to the Blue Mountains, south to Moss Vale and Wollongong, and north to the Central Coast and some parts of Newcastle.

Permanent Programming

Breakfast – Merrick & Rosso & Kate Ritchie

The breakfast show of Nova 96.9, is the flagship program of the station aimed at capturing an audience for the rest of the day. The show runs from 6:00am to 9:00am weekday mornings and is hosted by comedians Merrick Watts and Tim Ross. Kate Ritchie and Andrew Martin assist on the show also.

A podcast of the breakfast show is uploaded daily onto the Nova website and onto iTunes around 2:00pm weekdays. The podcast lasts for about 15 minutes, showcasing the best bits of interviews and segments of the day.³

Mornings – Harlee Mcleod

Weekdays from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Harlee McLeod – Returns home to Sydney after most recently doing the afternoon shift on Melbourne's Nova 100. Prior to that, Harlee worked on Perth's 92.9 and Sydney's 2Day FM. Originally, Harlee was doing afternoons but now can be heard during the mornings.

Afternoons – Jamie Row

Weekdays from 12:00pm - 3:00pm. Jamie Row (Comedian) – Formerly the Nova 106.9 drive time announcer. Jamie did casual work for Nova 969 in 2004 after working at 2MMM anchoring the breakfast show. He is well respected in the Australian comedy scene as a Master of Ceremonies with a leaning towards improvisation. Originally, Jamie was doing the mornings on nova969 from 9am to 12pm, but now can be heard in the afternoons. Jamie also hosts the Itunes top 40 countdown, which can be heard on Nova 969 on Saturdays from 4pm to 7pm.

Drive – Akmal, Cal & Ed

Weekdays from 3:00pm - 6:00pm. Akmal Saleh, Cal Wilson and Ed Kavalee – The drive shift is hosted by comedians Akmal Saleh, Cal Wilson and Ed Kavalee. All three have had numerous appearances on the improvisation television program Thank God You're Here⁴. The program is networked from Melbourne.

Nights – TOP 10 with Maz and Kerley

Weekdays from 7:00pm - 9:30pm. Maz Compton and James Kerley – This show counts down the Top 10 songs in Sydney twice per weeknight. Listeners vote for songs on the countdown through the station's website or studio telephone line.

Late Nights - Launchpad with James & Patience

Weeknights from 9.30pm - 11:00pm. Join Australian Idol's James Mathison and Patience Hodgson (from the Grates) who preview all the latest new music first. Launchpad is also an interactive show with listeners calling in throughout the duration of the show.

Weekend Announcers: Matt McHugh and Virginia Lette

Notable Former Announcers

Ugly Phil O'Neil (Triple M Sydney), Bianca Dye, Andy Grace (Mic 104.5), Corey Layton, Dave 'Rabbit' Rabbetts (SAFM), Kip Wightman (Nova 106.9), David Joseph Campbell, Lizzy Lovette (2Day), Zoe Sheridan, Sami Lukis (Triple M Brisbane), Jabba & Melissa Femia and Tim Blackwell (Nova 100)

References

External links

• 1Radio - Click & listen to Nova 96.9
• Nova 96.9 FM Website
• DMG Radio Corporate Website