Billionaire pub baron turned radio mogul Arthur Laundy is wasting no time making his presence felt across Australia’s talkback heartland, embarking on a cross-country tour of the stations he is preparing to formally bring under his ownership in a deliberate show of visibility, intent and cultural reset.
In an exclusive image captured by Ross Swanborough of the Australian Financial Review and shared with Mediaweek, Laundy is seen visiting Perth’s 6PR studios on Friday morning, meeting staff face-to-face in a symbolic first introduction to the team that will soon form part of his growing media portfolio.
The visit extended beyond the studio floor.
Laundy later attended the launch of 6PR’s 2026 football season at Optus Oval, alongside the station’s commentary team and commercial partners, reinforcing his commitment not just to content, but to the advertiser and client ecosystem that underpins talkback radio’s commercial engine.
From Perth, Laundy headed east, with plans to visit Melbourne’s powerhouse station 3AW this morning, continuing what insiders describe as a carefully staged national introduction to the workforce.
A deliberate culture play
For a business built on personalities, relationships and audience trust, Laundy’s early engagement with staff signals a hands-on ownership style more reminiscent of his pub empire than traditional corporate media stewardship.
Nine Radio national content manager Greg Byrnes told Mediaweek the reception from staff had been immediate and emphatic.
“Arthur and Craig have been warmly welcomed right across the country, visiting every station in two weeks. On Friday, Arthur was greeted with a round of applause when he walked into 6PR for the very first time,” Byrnes said.
“The Laundy’s value their staff and customers. We value our staff and listeners. Arthur and Craig are engaged and keen to learn what we do – there’s a great deal of excitement right across the business.”
Craig refers to Craig Laundy, Arthur’s son and a director of Laundy Hotels, who has joined his father on the national tour as the family prepares to integrate the stations into their broader portfolio.
The symbolism is unmistakable. Laundy isn’t waiting for settlement paperwork to clear before shaping culture.
He is already showing up.
The $56 million deal reshaping talkback radio
The station visits come as part of Laundy’s acquisition of Nine’s metropolitan radio assets, including Sydney’s 2GB, Melbourne’s 3AW, Brisbane’s 4BC and Perth’s 6PR, in a $56 million deal announced last year.
The sale, expected to be finalised by 30 June 2026, marks a significant shift in Australia’s media ownership landscape, transferring control of some of the country’s most influential talkback brands from a publicly listed broadcaster to private ownership.
For Nine, the divestment forms part of a broader strategic recalibration.
The company has doubled down on its out-of-home ambitions with its $850 million acquisition of QMS, while also converting regional television station NBN into an affiliate model operated by regional partner WIN.
For Laundy, the move represents a bold expansion beyond hospitality into media, placing him at the helm of platforms that reach millions of Australians daily and wield outsized influence in news, politics and public discourse.
From pubs to platforms
Laundy’s early station visits suggest he understands that talkback radio, like many media assets, runs as much on culture as it does on balance sheets.
His willingness to meet staff in person, attend client events and immerse himself in station operations reflects a relationship-first strategy familiar to anyone who has watched the Laundy Hotels empire grow from suburban pubs into one of Australia’s most powerful privately owned hospitality groups.
In radio, that same instinct may prove decisive.
Main image: Arthur Laundy at Perth’s 6PR studios. Source: Ross Swanborough of the Australian Financial Review.