Bill Caralis, the founder, Chairman and Managing Director of the Super Radio Network, died of a heart attack on Friday aged in his 80’s.
The Super Radio Network, also called the Broadcast Operations Group, is a conglomerate of 42 commercial radio stations, including all of the commercial radio stations in the New England: 2TM and FM 92.9 Tamworth, 2MO and Triple G in Gunnedah, 2AD and FM 100.3 Armidale, 2NZ and Gem FM in Inverell, and 2VM and NOW FM in Moree.
The network is entirely owned by the Caralis family, with just two shareholders: Bill and his wife Pamela. Two of Bill Caralis’ children, Despina Priala and George Caralis, will immediately assume the role of joint managing directors of all of the businesses within the Super Radio Network.
The new leadership have written to all staff of the largest privately owned media business in the country urging them to continue business as usual.
“The Caralis Family is committed to a “business as usual” approach for the Super Radio Network, with no plans to change anything operationally, and in particular day to day operations will continue this week and in future weeks no different to how they have in the past,” the letter says.
“For those of you who knew Bill C you would know all that he would want now is for the business to continue as per normal and for everyone to get on with doing their jobs as well as they can and with a minimum of fuss. That is what the Family asks of you now.”
Caralis migrated to Australia from Greece with his family as a young child. He followed his father into working at fruit and vegetable markets before moving into the liquor trade. He then ventured into the building trade as a developer, a life long interest and his primary focus for most of his interests.
He moved into radio in the 80s, first buying 2RG Griffith, soon followed by stations in Dubbo, Parkes and Mudgee. He acquired most of the stations in this area from the Higganbotham family, who founded 2TM in the 30s, during the mid 90’s
The at-times controversial and always reclusive business man had a series of run-ins with regulators, including action taken by the ATO for unpaid taxes, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority for failing to meet local broadcasting requirements. The company was also sued by Microsoft and Adobe for using pirated software, criticised for an unauthorised transmission tower, and was subject to complaints about the various stations being significantly under-resourced and run down, and pay disputes with staff.
The network’s local radio stations in the New England have been of fundamental importance to the culture and events in the region, including founding the Tamworth Country Music Festival and AgQuip.
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