Lachlan Murdoch’s DMG Radio Australia is to rebrand as Nova Entertainment,17 months after Murdoch bought the remaining 50% from the Daily Mail and General Trust through his investment company Illyria.

“The new company name has been developed to encapsulate both the pride and heritage of the company’s original and successful FM launch brand, Nova, with its recent evolution into the broader media and entertainment space,” the company said in a statement.

Chairman Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved as DMG Radio. The business has grown significantly and now holds dominant positions in the media channels it operates in. The change to Nova Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter for our business as we continue to broaden our entertainment offering outside of our core radio business.”

Nova Entertainment CEO Cathy O’Connor added: “Four years ago we set a strategy to revitalise the business, reposition the Nova brand and launch smoothfm and also look for ways to leverage our brands, content, audience and expertise into new areas. We have delivered strong growth from this plan and the Nova Entertainment name better reflects the company that we have become.”