Newstalk boss says O’Brien-controlled radio station will break even in 18 months

Tim Collins, Newstalk's chief executive

Newstalk, the commercial radio station controlled by the tycoon Denis O’Brien, expects to be at breakeven point within the next 18 months, a performance that would represent a marked turnaround.

Tim Collins, the station’s chief executive, admitted that the radio advertising market has been soft but said Newstalk was growing and bucking the trend.

He said its performance was improving.

Newstalk is operated by News 106 Limited, a subsidiary of O’Brien’s Communicorp. The ...