Nova Entertainment’s SmoothFM extends brand across Australia including Perth local content

Ten years after launching in Sydney and Melbourne, NOVA Entertainment is taking smoothfm across Australia with live and local content in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, supported by a multi-million dollar marketing campaign. The new stations and advertising campaign will start from 5 September 2022.

As well as taking smoothfm’s winning ‘feel good’ formula to even more Australians, the launch also provides advertisers with a national platform to reach more listeners across the country.

Smoothfm has become one of the most successful media brands in the Australian radio landscape. The first Australian radio station to be programmed based on a mood rather than an era or genre, smoothfm’s playlist is curated to make listeners ‘feel good’ with announcers handpicked to complement the music format.

The new markets will now have live breakfast shows hosted by respected broadcasters, Kate Mac in Perth, Nick Michaels in Brisbane and Kellie Golding in Adelaide, providing a local connection and content for listeners in these states.

Mac is one of the most versatile talents in Perth, with over 15 years’ experience in the media and entertainment industry in Australia and internationally. No stranger to NOVA Entertainment, Mac spent nearly 10 years with Nova 93.7 Perth, was heard on Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa breakfast show in 2015 and hosted Nova’s national Summer Breakfast that same year. Mac also has extensive TV experience and is currently a presenter for ‘Destinations WA’ and the brand-new series ‘Everything Outdoors’ for Channel Nine in Perth.

In recent years Mac has become a sought after MC’s in Perth and has made a name for herself in the Health & Wellness industry as a trainer and keynote speaker covering topics in mental health, the power of intuition and life in the media.

The brand has attracted a highly engaged audience across broadcast with 2.4 million listeners in Sydney and Melbourne, a 291% increase in cumulative broadcast listeners since launching in May 2012*, and a further 76% increase in audiences accessing the station via streaming from March 2020 to July 2022**.

Peter Charlton, NOVA Entertainment’s Chief Executive Officer Officer, said: “The organic discovery of smoothfm outside of its traditional FM heartlands has shown that the brand transcends geographies, with something for all Australians. With more and more listeners turning to DAB+, coupled with the rapid uptake of smart speakers and mobile devices for consuming audio, we felt the time was right to give smoothfm a national platform whilst ensuring a level of localness that our audiences expect. The investment and focus for this launch is at the level we would see for a traditional broadcast brand campaign, which is a reflection of the scale of the opportunity NOVA Entertainment sees in taking smooth across the country. We can’t wait to bring the feel good to even more audiences.”

Reflecting the opportunity presented by the growth of smart speaker listening, smooth is partnering with Amazon Alexa to assist listeners in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in discovering the brand. An integrated partnership will see the popular ‘smooth stars’ promotion delivered nationally for the first time and with the help of Alexa on air, listeners will learn how to engage with their Amazon device whilst enjoying their favourite ‘feel good’ station.

Nick Young, NOVA Entertainment’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Whilst smoothfm has always been available to audiences outside of Sydney and Melbourne, with new breakfast shows and localised advertising output in five capital cities we now have a truly national proposition to offer advertisers. With the additional of the smooth relax, smooth vintage and smooth 80s stations, we have a portfolio of ‘feel good’ content in brand safe environments that we know our clients love.”

NOVA Entertainment has worked with a number of category exclusive commercial partners for the launch of smoothfm across the country including Apia, Complete Home Filtration, Bedshed, Beaumont Tiles, Barbeques Galore, Crown Perth, Plico and John Hughes Group.

Listen to smoothfm Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide on digital radio, smart speaker or via the smooth player app.