Southern Cross Austereo CEO and MD Grant Blackley joins AANA board of directors

The Australian Association of National Advertisers’ (AANA) Board has today welcomed a new director, Grant Blackley, chief executive officer and managing director of Southern Cross Austereo (SCA).

Says Matt Tapper, chair, AANA: “I’m very pleased Grant will be joining the AANA Board. He brings with him more than 30 years’ experience leading some of the nation’s top broadcasters, including five years as CEO at the Ten Network and the past four as CEO at SCA. Having his perspective at the board table will help give us a 360 degree view of the issues impacting our industry.”

SCA is one of Australia’s largest entertainment companies with the ability to reach more than 95% of the Australian population through its radio, television and digital assets. Led by the Triple M and Hit Networks, SCA owns 78 radio stations (plus an additional 8 unique digital radio stations) across metropolitan and regional Australia.

SCA broadcasts 92 free to air TV signals in regional Australia, predominantly under the Nine Network brand, and owns Australia’s leading commercial Podcast Network, PodcastOne Australia. Blackley also chairs Commercial Radio Australia and is a director of Free TV Australia.

Says Blackley: “I look forward to contributing to the great work the AANA Board does advocating for national advertisers and, as custodians of the self-regulatory system, protecting our right to commercial free-speech.”

The announcement follows the appointments to the board in November of Andrew Hicks, director of marketing, Woolworths Food Group & Supermarkets; Martin Brown, director for eBusiness, strategy and marketing, Nestlé Oceania; and Lisa Ronson, chief marketing officer, Coles.