Day: June 3, 2024

Launch of SBS South Asian channel and SBS Spice, a new English language offering for younger South Asian Australians

Pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling, SBS Spice is for Gen Y with a South Asian heritage who want to shape their own cultural narratives and be informed and entertained via social media.

SBS Spice is an exciting new English language digital offering for South Asian Australians aged 20-34, spicing things up with unique perspectives on hot topics ranging from pop culture to politics, aimed at exploring identity, belonging and social change.

Amplifying diverse voices and showcasing South Asian storytelling through a contemporary Australian lens, SBS Spice will lead progressive, thought-provoking and tongue-in-cheek conversations to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive community for young South Asian Australians born here as well as newly arrived.

SBS Spice is for the young and curious with a South Asian heritage who are active on social media, and interested in culturally shaping the narratives of where we come from and where we’re headed in a forward-looking Australia,” said Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, Executive Producer of SBS Spice, who is an Indian-born journalist, founder of South Asian Today and known for probing social nuances and amplifying diverse perspectives.

Driving video content and conversations on Instagram, YouTube and via podcasts, SBS Spice will tackle complex issues such as identity, gender equality and mental health, as well as provide entertainment and the latest in pop culture. Hosted by Taggar and Suhayla Sharif, a Bollywood obsessed Australian-Fijian journalist, it will feature the following audio-visual segments:

  • Scan – short explainer series that delves behind the headlines of local and global issues to explore different viewpoints.
  • Two Chillies in a Pod – long-form podcasts featuring first-person interviews with South Asian disruptors and game changers from Australia and abroad, including former Editor of Vogue India, Megha Kapoor; traveller Priya Sharma; content creator Jeremy Franco; social worker Amar Singh; and actors Shahana Goswami and Ayesha Madon.
  • Spice Express – short-form podcasts focused on community check-ins to understand what issues are making South Asians click or feel ick.

The launch of SBS Spice coincides with SBS rebranding its PopDesi channel to SBS South Asian, a single destination channel for all things South Asian. Locally produced content in 10 languages is available live and on demand across broadcast radio, live streaming, digital publishing and podcasting, including a new dedicated YouTube channel offering a complete audio visualisation experience.

“SBS is proud to continue delivering on the outcomes of our Language Services Review, which is conducted every five years in line with the national Census to ensure SBS’s offering reflects a diverse and contemporary Australia and helps build a sense of inclusion and belonging for everyone,” said Pamela Cook, Acting Director of SBS Audio.

“South Asians are the fastest growing migrant population in Australia, with more than 1.5 million Australians speaking a sub continental language at home. SBS is uniquely placed to capture this depth and diversity across first, second and third generation migrants who belong and enrich the fabric of contemporary Australia,” said Manpreet Kaur Singh, Program Manager for SBS South Asian including SBS Spice.

SBS South Asian’s language programs include Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil and Urdu, featuring all the latest news, current affairs, entertainment and community stories broadcast live from 11:00AM to 6:00PM on weekdays, and 5:00PM to 6:00PM on weekends. At other times, enjoy extensive music playlists featuring all the best Bollywood (Hindi), Bhangra (Punjabi) and Nepali hits, with music in other languages to be added to the schedule progressively. A Telugu language offering launched last year is also available via podcast, website and social media.

For migrants newly arrived in Australia, SBS further provides essential services available free and online. Australia Explained offers practical information to assist with participating in everyday social and civic life, with topics ranging from tips on how to find a job to the cultural protocols of attending a BBQ, and translated into over 30 languages including Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

While Punjabi and Hindi are now among the top 10 languages spoken in Australian households, Nepali is the fastest growing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data, the number of people speaking Punjabi is 239,033, Hindi 197,132, Nepali 133,068, Urdu 111,873, Tamil 95,404. Sinhala 85,869, Gujarati 81,334, Malayalam 78,738, Bangla 70,116 and Telugu 59,406.

SBS Spice is available via the SBS Audio App, website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and most places where you consume your podcasts. Sample the trailer here. SBS South Asian is available on DAB, digital TV (Channel 305), and its own dedicated YouTube channel, as well as the SBS Audio App and website. Each SBS South Asian language program also has its own Facebook page and a bilingual website, with audio offerings available at most places where you consume your podcasts.

ABC Parramatta Officially Opens

The ABC has officially opened its new broadcast facility in Parramatta with key ABC Sydney presenters now live on-air from the site with ABC News, Audio and Digital teams joining them over the next few months.

An event to mark the opening of ABC Parramatta was led by ABC Chair Kim Williams AM, ABC Managing Director David Anderson, and Member for Parramatta Dr Andrew Charlton MP. Other dignitaries included City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Councillor Pierre Esber, State Member for Parramatta Donna Davis MP, Executive Director of Business Western Sydney David Borger, members of the ABC Leadership Team and key members of the ABC’s content and support teams.

ABC Chair Kim Williams said the new ABC Parramatta “will serve as a model for the ABC in the future; a sophisticated technology facility that promotes new production practices with agile content sharing and distribution.

“From here the ABC will deliver on its continuing obligation to the Australian community as a foundation stone of our democracy, providing news, sharing knowledge and myriad rich stories which reflect our nation. As always, the work done here as with all ABC output provides a core element in contributing to our sense of national identity.”

Mr Williams said the ABC had throughout its nine-decade history demonstrated its ability to adapt and innovate to meet the changing needs of the Australian public.

“The move of local news and local radio to Parramatta is another chapter in that adaptive history, meeting audience expectations and honouring legislative obligations. ABC Parramatta will increase our presence in the nation’s fastest growing residential region, boosting the ABC’s effectiveness in Greater Western Sydney.”

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said: “Today is the culmination of several years planning and it is exciting to be here at the stage where new and loyal audiences can experience the ABC broadcasting from this technology-driven facility.

“Over coming months more of our journalists, producers and digital content teams will be based here, connecting and engaging with one of Australia’s most diverse and fastest growing communities.

“The relocation to western Sydney is a key part of the commitment outlined in the ABC’s Five-Year Plan to see 75% of content makers working outside its Ultimo head office by 2025.

“I want to thank everyone involved in the development of this facility, in particular the team members who will be based here and who have supported the move with such professionalism.”

Mornings on ABC Radio Sydney was the first show to broadcast from the new state-of-the-art facility, located at 6-8 Parramatta Square.

The opening today is the first in a series of upcoming milestones. Further programs including Sydney Drive and Weekends will commence broadcasting from ABC Parramatta in the coming weeks, and Afternoons later today.

In the coming months, two ground floor studios will open for use by ABC News and ABC Sydney teams.

ABC Radio Australia launches in Palau

In a first for the northern Pacific region, residents of Palau can now enjoy ABC Radio Australia’s full service on 91.5FM.

The service launch comes after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2023 between the ABC and the Republic of Palau’s national radio broadcaster, Eco Paradise FM (EPFM). It is the first time since 2014 that ABC Radio Australia has been available as a full channel service to northern Pacific audiences.

Attended by Palau’s Vice President, the Hon. Uduch Sengebau Senior, the launch event at EPFM’s Koror headquarters on Friday 3 May coincided with International Press Freedom Day.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “The Palau launch marks another important milestone in the ongoing expansion of ABC Radio Australia’s FM footprint in the Pacific and cements our collaboration with EPFM and the people of Palau.”

ABC Radio Australia head Justine Kelly, who co-hosted the launch event, said: “I’m excited that audiences in Palau will now have access to the very best of Pacific news, music, sports, culture and health programming, all day, every day via the new service.”

Australian Ambassador to Palau, Richelle Turner, also attended the launch event and Gorman acknowledged the Australian Embassy in Palau’s support in brokering the 2023 MOU with EPFM.

Acting Director of the Palau Bureau Archives and Media, Linda Ngirameketii, who co-hosted the launch event, added: “I express my wholehearted support for today’s ABC Radio Australia launch in Palau in partnership with EPFM 87.9, Ngerel Belau AM 1584 and the Palau Division of Media & Information Services (DMIS). I am so happy to see ABC Radio Australia return to the Palau airwaves, bridging the distances for many listeners near and far. Through radio waves and the power of media, communities are united and vital information disseminated, reaching many in the Pacific region. We welcome this endeavour, knowing it will resonate far beyond the shores of Palau.”

Palau’s Acting Chief of the Media Division Rondy Ronny, who MC’d the launch event, said: “Radio Australia stands as a beacon of connectivity, illuminating the vast potential of the airwaves in the Pacific Ocean. Its opening here in Palau marks not just a milestone in broadcasting, but a testament to the power of media to unite, inform and inspire. I envision this new platform as a catalyst for innovation, education, and cultural exchange, enriching the Palau communities and advancing our collective understanding of our surrounding waters.”

In coming weeks and months, more countries and locations will also receive ABC Radio Australia’s service, including Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kokopo in Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

There are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

ABC appoints Emily Copeland as Head of Music

The ABC is pleased to announce leading audio executive Emily Copeland has been appointed as Head of Music in the ABC Audio team.

In this newly created role, Emily will lead and manage the music strategy across triple j, Double J, triple j Unearthed, ABC Country, ABC Classic and ABC Jazz.

Of her appointment, Emily said: “It’s an honour to have the opportunity to work with such iconic Australian music brands.

“The ABC’s music brands and platforms are world class and I’m excited to work with the team to continue to build on their incredible legacy and help lead these brands into the future.”

Emily joins the ABC with a strong background in executive roles with youth focussed audio brands.

Most recently, Emily was the Director of Audience Innovation & Music Partnerships at ARN, leading partnerships with the Australian music industry and overseeing projects focussed on audience growth and brand innovation.

Emily joined ARN in 2021 and was responsible for the strategic vision and launch of CADA, ARN’s multi-platform youth offering. She also oversaw their national country music station KIX.

She worked with major music and media organisations, including Sounds Australia, TEDxSydney and Chugg Music as the Founder and Director of partnerships agency Good Authority.

Emily has also led partnerships for Foxtel’s music television channels and served as Vice President of the Board of FBi Radio.

ABC Head of Audio Ben Latimer said he was “delighted to welcome Emily to the ABC.

“Emily brings an exceptional range of skills and experience to the role and her understanding and appreciation of Australian music across genres is phenomenal.

“Emily will play a pivotal role in bringing a focus back to the ABC as the home of Australian music.”

Emily will start in the role on 6 May.

Paul Cook takes Breakfast reins at ABC Great Southern

ABC Great Southern is thrilled to announce Paul Cook has taken the reins of the Breakfast program in Albany.

The popular Saturday Breakfast presenter has been on-air at the ABC for more than two years and has now moved into the weekday Breakfast program.

“I love this region and the ABC audience loves it too. I can’t wait to continue sharing the stories of this amazing region we call home,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to connecting with the locals, keeping them company each morning with stories that matter and interviewing the quirky characters.”

Paul has worked in radio for more than three decades across Australia.

He’s looking forward continuing to grow his loyal audience with his passion, music and news – but also to enjoy everything the Great Southern has to offer from Albany to Narrogin and everywhere in between.

“I started my radio journey in the Wheatbelt in 1987. I’m excited to have become part of the ABC in a patch my family and I love to live,” he said.

“The Great Southern audience is parochial and always happy to have a say – which I love!

ABC Great Southern Editor John Dobson said:

“Paul loves the Great Southern patch and its people. He is a talented broadcaster and just great company in the mornings,” he said.

Listeners can tune into Paul each morning from 6.30am to 8am via the ABC Listen App or Albany 630am and Wagin 558AM.

ABC launches ABC Radio Australia in Micronesia

ABC Radio Australia has expanded FM transmission services to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), where residents can now access the station’s full suite of programs via the frequency 89.1FM.

The launch of the FM service is part of an historic expansion of ABC Radio Australia’s FM footprint in the Pacific and follows the recent launch of the service in Palau, a first for the northern Pacific region.

In coming weeks and months, more countries and locations will also receive the service including Kokopo in Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands.

ABC International Services Head Claire M. Gorman said: “The launch of ABC Radio Australia in Pohnpei marks another important step in the expansion of our transmission footprint in the northern Pacific and we welcome our new audiences in the Federated States of Micronesia to explore the extensive range of Pacific-focused programs.”

Australian Ambassador to FSM Jenny Grant-Curnow co-hosted a launch event to mark the occasion which was attended by Pohnpei State Governor the Hon. Stevenson A. Joseph and ABC Radio Australia Content Director Faleagafulu Inga Stünzner.

According to Faleagafulu: “Our increasing engagement with Pohnpei and Micronesia via the launch of the ABC Radio Australia service will lead to expanded coverage of this beautiful region in our programming, as well as bringing stories from right across the Pacific to the people of Pohnpei.”

ABC Radio Australia can now be heard on 89.1FM in Pohnpei, including recently launched programs Sista Sounds, Pacific Pulse, Pacific Soul and the afternoon edition of Nesia Daily.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

There are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB+) services to the Gold Coast

ABC and SBS today announced that audiences on the Gold Coast will now have access to a range of new radio stations with the launch of digital radio (DAB+) services from today, Wednesday 15 May.

Listeners will be able to enjoy the full range of ABC Radio services including ABC Gold Coast, Double J, ABC Jazz, ABC Country, ABC Sport, triple j Unearthed and ABC KIDS listen.

They will be able to tune in to SBS Audio services including language programs on SBS Radio 1, SBS Radio 2, SBS Radio 3, SBS Arabic24 and SBS South Asian, as well as music stations SBS Chill and SBS PopAsia.

ABC Head of Audio Ben Latimer said: “The addition of DAB+ will improve access to the ABC’s wealth of audio services for audiences on the Gold Coast. These audiences will experience high-quality audio across our range of popular digital audio brands like Double J, ABC Sport and the ABC Kids listen.”

SBS Acting Director of Audio and Language Content Pamela Cook said: “With the latest Census data showing nearly a third of Gold Coast residents were born overseas, the launch of DAB+ radio means more Australians can now enjoy SBS Audio’s full suite of over 60 language services. This provides news, community stories, entertainment, plus a new SBS South Asian destination channel.”

Digital radio delivers better sound quality than traditional AM/FM radio and doesn’t suffer from the same types of interference or static issues.

There is no need to manually tune or search for channels, audiences can simply select their favourite radio station from the alphabetical station list.

Digital radios also have small screens which can display program-related information, such as ‘now playing’ song title and artist details as well as local news headlines, weather details and traffic updates.

Audiences can find more information about DAB+ on the ABC Digital Radio Help Page and SBS Audio How Do I Listen Page.

ABC News Top Stories No 1 news podcast in April podcast ranker

ABC News Top Stories is the No 1 news podcast in Australia, according to the April Triton Podcast Ranker released today.

The program was No 3 in the overall rankings with 669,000 listeners in April.

ABC News Top Stories is a news update created specifically for digital audiences, explaining the key stories of the moment in under two minutes.

ABC Director News Justin Stevens said: “The fantastic performance of ABC News Top Stories demonstrates its value and the audience demand for a quality news service in the podcast age.”

The ABC is the No. 3 podcast publisher in the April Triton Podcast Ranker and has more titles in the top 200 than any other publisher, with 33 titles featured.

Three ABC titles featured in the top 20 podcasts, with ABC News Top Stories at number three, Conversations at number seven and ABC News Daily at number 15.

The full Triton Australian Podcast Ranker can be found here.

Audiences can enjoy all the ABC’s podcasts for free and ad free on ABC listen.

The Australian Podcast Ranker is a regular monthly snapshot of Australia’s most popular podcasts. The Ranker has been reporting podcast listening in Australia since 2019 and includes a wide cross section of Australian podcast publishers, from both radio and non-radio backgrounds.

ABC launches ABC Radio Australia service and signs MOU in Nauru

The Central Pacific state of Nauru is the latest location in the expansion of ABC Radio Australia’s FM transmission service, now available for residents on 90.0FM.

In partnership with the Nauru Media Bureau (NMB), ABC Radio Australia has launched its full FM radio service, featuring a growing schedule of programs including the latest in Pacific news, music and sports, as well as conversations about culture, health, faith and science.

The ABC has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NMB, building on a long history of engagement between the organisations, including the sharing of ABC NEWS on Nauru Radio and the transmission of ABC Australia television content on Nauru TV.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “After many years of partnership with Nauru and the NMB, we’re proud to announce an MOU with NMB and the launch of a 24-hour dedicated ABC Radio Australia FM service, showcasing the comprehensive range of Pacific news and content that ABC Radio Australia has to offer.”

ABC International Services Manager Nesryn Bouziane, who co-hosted a launch and MOU signing ceremony in Nauru with the NMB, said: “We’re excited for new audiences across Nauru to hear and engage with ABC Radio Australia. The launch of the new FM service and the ABC’s MOU with NMB will lead to greater cross-cultural exchange of ideas and information, deepening connections and friendships between the people of Australia and Nauru.”

Nauru Minister for Media the Hon. Shadlog Bernicke, who co-hosted the launch and signing of the MOU, said: “I am extremely proud to announce the new MOU between Nauru Media Bureau & ABC Radio, further strengthening the longstanding relationship we share with the ABC family. We are committed to always bringing the best services and content to the people of Nauru and the launch of this new FM service is a testimony to our commitment. We are excited to share the fantastic array of content that the ABC has to offer with our beloved audience.”

The new Nauru service follows recent ABC Radio Australia launches in Palau and Pohnpei in Micronesia in the northern Pacific. Further Pacific locations will be added to ABC Radio Australia’s FM footprint in coming months including Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

There are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

David Marr to host RN Late Night Live

One of the nation’s most influential and respected journalists, David Marr, will take over as host of RN’s Late Night Live until the end of the year following the retirement of veteran presenter Phillip Adams after 33 years.

David Marr is a Walkley Award winning journalist whose career has included editing The National Times, and reporting at The Bulletin, Fairfax, The Guardian and the ABC where he hosted Media Watch, was an investigative journalist at Four Corners, and presented arts programs.

A successful author, David’s most recent book Killing for Country: A Family Story has been critically acclaimed since its release, while his biographies of Nobel winning Australian author Patrick White and former Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick are among his many contributions to Australian journalism and letters.

David has built a career as one of the nation’s leading commentators on current affairs, culture, media and the law and will bring his signature quick wit to the task.

Of his new gig, David said, “I’m honoured and terrified. It’s going to be a ball”.

RN Manager Dina Rosendorff said replacing Phillip Adams after such an unrivalled career on the ABC airwaves was never going to be an easy task.

“While we celebrate Phillip’s career it is also exciting to welcome David, who I’m sure will resonate with the most intellectual and loyal radio audience in the country, the Gladdies and Poddies.

“David is the right combination of intellect, curiosity and, of course, a wicked sense of humour. We are all delighted that he’s agreed to take up this role until the end of the year.”

Phillip’s last broadcast will be on June 27. David starts with LNL on July 15.