January 30, 2026 — 8:42am
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Nine Entertainment has struck a deal to sell Australia’s top-rating conservative talkback stations 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR to publican and pokies billionaire Arthur Laundy and his family for $56 million, marking a major transition in Australia’s media landscape.
The company has also purchased outdoor media firm QMS for $850 million, using the proceeds from its recent sale of digital real estate firm Domain, it told the market on Friday morning.
2GB and Ben Fordham will have a new parent company after Nine completes the sale.Nine
Nine’s directors met on Thursday for their annual board meeting in Melbourne and approved the sale of the stations that once wielded unrivalled influence over politicians and the business industry, but have waned in power and financial might, as well as the purchase of QMS.
In a further move, Nine has parted with its wholly owned northern NSW television station NBN, which will become an affiliate station owned by its partner WIN Network, in a transaction worth $15 million.
The talkback stations had been a major part of Nine’s strategy to offer advertisers a full suite of media channels to reach their customers, but ultimately did not align with the rest of the business, multiple sources with knowledge of the sales processes said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Chief executive Matt Stanton said: “These transactions will create a more efficient, higher-growth, and digitally powered Nine group for our consumers, advertisers, shareholders and people. This positions Nine well for the future, enabling the group to withstand industry disruption and deliver long-term sustainable value to our shareholders.”
QMS specialises in outdoor advertising furniture and billboards.Dominic Lorrimer
Arthur Laundy, worth $1.75 billion according to the AFR Rich List, made his wealth through an extensive network of pubs in NSW. Nine said the Laundy family will remain a partner of the company with increased advertising investment, continued use of Nine News journalists on the talkback networks, and showcasing Stan Sport in their network of venues.
2GB and 3AW’s Breakfast and Morning shows in both Melbourne and Sydney, fronted by the likes of Ben Fordham, Russel Howcroft and Ross Stevenson, Tom Elliott and Mark Levy, still command hundreds of thousands of listeners each week and can tip the daily news cycle.
In the final radio ratings survey for 2025, 2GB was toppled as Sydney’s top station by SmoothFM, but 3AW remained No.1 in Melbourne.
Laundy’s son, former Liberal MP Craig Laundy, has a weekly slot on 2GB’s Drive show with Clinton Maynard, and led negotiations on behalf of his family.
Nine had previously been rumoured to be considering the purchase of ASX-listed outdoor media firm oOh!media, but has now confirmed it is acquiring QMS from its private equity owners Quadrant for $850 million.
It provides Nine with the ability to offer customers advertising campaigns spanning its television shows, newspapers, streaming services and outdoor billboards. QMS holds the contract for billboards in the City of Sydney, among others.
It will also let Nine promote its own media products outdoors. Stan, in particular, spends millions advertising its programming on outdoor assets such as billboards, bus stops and buses.
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“QMS is a highly complementary media platform, offering Nine the opportunity to drive significant value by leveraging our premium content on QMS screens and creating an unparalleled advertising proposition that spans from ‘sofa to street’,” Stanton said.
All of the transactions are subject to ACCC approval and are expected to be completed by June 30. Nine said the structure of the deal and the total outlay of around $780 million in cash would help offset the $254 million in tax it has to pay from selling Domain.
A briefing note said the transactions reduce the company’s exposure to broadcast declines in both television and radio, instead focusing on its growth assets in metro markets.
Numerous potential buyers for the radio networks were floated in the media, but only a small number were seriously considered by Nine, including the well-publicised bid from the Craig Hutchison-led Sports Entertainment Group.
Nine was seeking around $50 million. The ultimate sale price of $56 million is still well short of the $113.9 million it paid for the remaining 45.5 per cent of the stations it did not already own in 2019. The takeover of what was then Macquarie Media, which was home to Alan Jones and Ray Hadley, valued the radio network at $275.4 million.
Russel Howcroft and Ross Stevenson present the 3AW breakfast show.3AW
Having already sold Domain Group to American digital real estate listings firm CoStar in August, Nine will be a significantly smaller business in 2026 with its publishing assets (including this masthead), a free-to-air network, online broadcast platform 9Now and premium streaming service Stan. But it has been bolstered by QMS.
Nine officially launched its sale process for the radio networks at the back end of 2025, having made the radio division a standalone business earlier in the year.
While 2GB and 3AW are regularly the top-rating stations in the two biggest radio markets in Australia, advertising dollars for the conservative-leaning talkback stations have dwindled, and revenue and earnings for the audio division suffered as a result.
The division made up just two per cent of Nine’s EBITDA in 2025, while revenues also declined two per cent to $101 million.
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via X or email.From our partners