The owner of popular talkback radio stations 2UE, 3AW and 2GB will launch a new hour-long program commissioned by and paid for by advertisers in 2016.
Macquarie Radio chairman Russell Tate says the new program will be broadcast weekly throughout the group's national network and on dozens of regional radio stations.
"We will in the New Year be launching what we believe is the first ever broadly appealing, sponsor commissioned and funded, one-hour program," he told shareholders at Macquarie's annual general meeting on Tuesday.
"Our news-talk format, particularly outside of peak zones, lends itself perfectly to the production and presentation of such programming and we are currently in discussion on several such projects."
The group also has plans to revamp 2UE in the new year, but Mr Tate gave no details about what was in store for listeners.
2UE became part of the newly combined stable owned by Fairfax Media and Macquarie Radio following the merger of their radio assets in a $200 million deal earlier this year.
The merger led to a number of job losses and the amalgamation of the newsroom of the 90-year-old Sydney-based and Fairfax-owned 2UE and its fierce rival 2GB, which was part of Macquarie.
Mr Tate said that the combined company, which is majority owned by Fairfax and includes Brisbane's 4BC and Perth's 6PR, was slightly ahead of its budget targets for the first four months of the 2015/16 financial year.
He reaffirmed the company's earlier underlying earnings forecast of $20 million to $25 million for fiscal 2016.
"Our performance on the cost side has been pleasing and we continue to identify further opportunities for operating efficiencies whose full benefit will be realised in FY17," Mr Tate said.
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