Month: September 2024

Community Radio Plus is making the listening experience better than ever with new features that put listeners in control of their favourite shows and stations.

COMING SOON

Radiothon Notifications: Boosting Support for Your Station

Supporting community radio stations is about to become easier! With the upcoming new radiothon notifications feature, stations will be able to notify their followers about upcoming fundraising events directly through the app. These alerts help listeners stay informed and engaged, making it easier for stations to spread the word and secure much-needed donations. Stations can request promotion for upcoming radiothons by getting in touch with the CBAA Online Services team at least 4 weeks before a radiothon, and must supply promotional material and relevant links for use in promotions.

OTHER NEW FEATURES

Show Reminders: Never Miss an Episode

Listeners can set up reminders for their favourite shows. They can choose between a single reminder for a specific episode or set weekly reminders so they’re always ready when their favourite program airs. It’s as simple as tapping the reminder bell on a show or podcast to get notified when new episodes drop.

Indigenous Placenames

Community Radio Plus has introduced a new feature that allows stations to display their Indigenous placenames on their station screen.

My Queue: Customise Your Listening Experience

With the new My Queue feature, listeners can now create a personalised playlist from various podcasts, allowing them to pick episodes from different shows, reorder them, and make an ideal listening mix.

Enhanced Push Notifications

Enhanced push notifications now include images and direct links to stations or individual podcast episodes.

Toast Messaging for Better User Experience

We’ve added toast messaging to improve app interactions. These subtle, brief notifications appear in response to certain actions, making it clearer and easier to navigate through the app.

New Podcast Player Controls

Managing podcast episodes has never been easier! We’ve added a new Up Next button to the Podcast Player screen, giving listeners the ability to reorder and manage episodes from Podcasts, Downloads, or My Queue.

Direct Access to New Episodes

Podcasts with new episodes now display a bell icon, making it easy to spot fresh content.

 

LET YOUR LISTENERS KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY RADIO PLUS APP

Let your listeners know that they can find your station on Community Radio Plus, whether they’re using the app on the Google Play Store, the iOS App Store, using select smart speakers as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Consultation on the Australian Government’s Community Broadcasting Sustainability Review closed last week. Thanks to all of the community broadcasters that attended consultations sessions, made a submission or opened up their stations to the Department officials throughout the consultations. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) will now review all verbal and written submissions with the aim of publishing a review document with recommended actions and outcomes. CBAA will continue to work with the Department throughout this process. We hope to achieve a positive outcome for Broadcasters this year.

Our submission builds on the vision of the Roadmap 2033 and the views expressed to us by stations throughout the process. As a priority, the CBAA is seeking an immediate and substantially increased funding allocation for community broadcasters to deliver Roadmap 2033: Community Broadcasting’s plan for greater impact in every Australian Community (Roadmap 2033). We are asking for more funding for station operations, workforce development, specialist content and projects to achieve community outcomes.

Our submission also covers the structure and funding of the Community Broadcasting Program (CBP) and Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program (IMBP) as well as legislation, regulation, and the activity of the regulator (the ACMA). We are urging the Government to work with the sector on legislative and regulatory reforms which will create a clearer and more consistent framework for broadcasters to reduce administration, increase business certainty, enable operational flexibility and efficiency, expand services and increase opportunities to develop alternative sources of income.

Please contact CBAA Head of Advocacy and Communications Reece Kinnane (reece.kinnane@cbaa.org.au) regarding any issues you’d like to discuss or any help your station can provide to strengthen our advocacy on behalf of the sector.

The ABC has added an additional 456,000 listeners across our podcast offering last month according to the Triton August Podcast ranker released today.

The additional listeners saw our programs achieve a total of 2.82 million monthly listeners, a new record for the ABC since it joined the ranker and maintaining our number 3 podcast publisher rank.

ABC Head of Audio Ben Latimer said: “This is a fantastic result for our team.

It is always heartening to see audiences turn to the ABC during these moments of national importance, like the Olympics.”

There were 32 ABC titles in the top 200 ranker with ABC News Top Stories maintaining the number 2 position it achieved for the first time in July.

The ABC had 4 titles in the top 20 with ABC News Top Stories joined by Conversations at #8, ABC News Daily at #11 and ABC Sport Daily moving up 8 spots to #13.

Other ABC titles making big moves in August were The World Today which rose 95 ranks to #59, Quick Smart jumped 53 places to #95 and Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald which moved up 29 places to #117.

Roy and HG — Bludging on the Blindside continued to benefit from their Olympic coverage moving up 17 places for their highest ever rank of #24.

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.

Grace Barlow, a student at Perth’s University of Notre Dame Australia, has been named the 2024 Brian White Scholarship winner, Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) announced today. This esteemed award grants Grace a unique opportunity to embark on a four-week paid placement, gaining invaluable experience across the newsrooms of ARN, SCA, NOVA Entertainment, and Nine Radio.

“This year’s competition set a new benchmark with the highest number of applicants in four years. Our finalists represent the future of radio news, and we are thrilled to see such remarkable talent emerging in our industry,” said CRA chief executive officer Lizzie Young.

The scholarship recipient was selected after an intensive workshop at ARN’s offices, where ten finalists were mentored by the industry’s top commercial radio news leaders. Led by Fiona Ellis-Jones (ARN), Michelle Stephenson (NOVA Entertainment), Erin Maher (2GB, Nine Radio), and Amy Goggins (SCA), each sharing their personal experiences and expertise on succeeding in radio.

“The level of skill and passion in the room is outstanding, it’s exciting to see the next generation eager to contribute to radio’s unique ability to reach audiences in a meaningful way,” said Fiona Ellis-Jones, ARN Head of News and Information.

“From breaking news to the everyday updates that matter, it’s often through radio that people first hear what’s happening in the world,” shared Michelle Stephenson, NOVA National Audio News Editor who has been a judge for the Brian White Scholarship since its inception in 2017.

“In the newsroom, no two days are the same, that variety keeps the work both challenging and exciting,” Amy Goggins, SCA Sydney News Editor, told the finalists.

“There’s no better place for a journalist than radio. It’s immediate, it’s intimate, it’s always evolving – offering endless opportunities for storytelling,” added Erin Maher, 2GB Radio Senior Newsreader and Editor.

The annual scholarship honours the legacy of radio legend Brian White, the first Australian commercial radio cadet journalist. White pioneered the news talk format and had a career spanning three influential decades.

Entries for the 2025 Brian White Scholarship will open early next year. The competition is open to recent graduates or students in their final year of a relevant course such as Communications, Media, Journalism, and Radio. For more details, keep an eye on our socials.

2024 is a big year for the Community Broadcasting Awards, as we’ve revamped our award categories to better capture the unique structure of our sector. We’ve received over 300 entries across more than 20 categories, and would like to thank both the entrants and the judges who reviewed their entries. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the 2024 CBAA conference from 17-19 October on the Gold Coast.

You can find the full list of finalists below. Winners will be announced at the conference Gala Dinner on Satuday, 19 October at the CBAA Conference, along with the recipients of the Community Broadcasting Honour Roll, Michael Law and Tony Staley Awards.

 

2024 Community Broadcasting Awards Finalists

Best Program: Music (Sponsored by APRA AMCOS)

• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio – Studio 3 Live
• RTRFM – Difficult Listening
• 3BBR FM – Continental Drift
• Koori Radio – Tangata Whenua
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh Off The Block – Hosted by MATIAH

Best Program: New (Sponsored by AFTRS)

• 8CCC – Great Cooks of The Desert
• Eastside Radio 89.7FM – The Intersection
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh Off The Decks – Hosted by MATIAH
• Vision Australia Radio – Sites, Sounds and Songs on Vision Australia Radio
• 3CR – Hong Kongology

Best Program: News & Current Affairs (Sponsored by AVC)

• 3BBR FM – West Gippsland Week
• 2DRY FM – Water Watch
• ​Ngaarda Media – Ngaarda Statewide News WA
• Vision Australia Radio – Studio 1
• 3CR – Global Intifada: Operation Inglenook Episode

Best Program: Talks

• 2MFM – Beyond the ATAR – Youth Series
• 2DRY FM – Out in the Outback: Hidden Histories Series
• Fresh 92.7 – Wavelength: Navigating the Israel & Palestine Conflict
• 3CR – 30 Years Fighting for Forests
• Vision Australia Radio – Happy Pants

Excellence in Australian Music (Sponsored by APRA AMCOS)

• 107.3 HFM – Beats Rhymes and Life
• 3BBR FM – Gippsland Live, 3BBR Concert Hall
• Koori Radio – Indigenous Hip Hop Show
• 2SER – 2SER Australian Music Programming & Events
• Radio 4EB – TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project

Excellence in Community Engagement

• Sonshine (98.5FM) – Sonshine’s Heart For The Homeless
• 89.9 TheLight – Connecting with the Community
• Bay FM 99.9 – Young Legends
• Vision Australia Radio
• Fresh 92.7

Excellence in Disability Content & Engagement

• Phoenix FM
• RTRFM – Breaking Sound Barriers – Season 2
• Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio – Wangki Radio Celebrates Difference
• Vision Australia Radio
• 3CR – Disability Day

Excellence in Fundraising & Sponsorship

• RTRFM – RTRFM’s Fundraising and Sponsorship Team
• VOX FM – Judy Clare, Billy Harvey Carmel Collins, & Kevin Barron
• Alive 90.5 FM
• 89.9 TheLight – PositiveMedia Donor Engagement & Business Development Teams
• Fresh 92.7

Excellence in Indigenous Content & Engagement (Sponsored by McNair Yellowsquares)

• RTRFM – Sovereign
• PBA-FM – Feel Good Nunga Radio
• Koori Radio – Two Men In Your Head and The Dhinawanyan Healers
• Ngaarda Media – Federal Court Native Title Hearing: YIindjibarndi and FMG
• PAW & 8CCC – The Heat

Excellence in Multicultural Content & Engagement (Sponsored by McNair Yellowsquares)

• 2MFM
• PBA-FM – Siempre Lunes
• Alive 90.5FM – Alive with Cultural Diversity
• 88.9 WynFM
• Radio 4EB – TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project

Excellence in Production

• 3ZZZ
• 96five – The Rad-Vent Calendar
• Casey Radio 97.7FM – Storytellers @ The Station
• Vision Australia Radio
• Bay FM 99.9 – Bay FM Community Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness Campaign

Excellence in Special Events & Outside Broadcasting

• 3ZZZ – FIFA Women’s World Cup Broadcast
• MainFM – MAIN Game
• Ngaarda Media – Tamworth Country Music Program 2024
• 2DRY FM – 2024 Broken Hill Christmas Pageant
• 3CR – Camp Sovereignty

Excellence in Station Resilience & Development (Sponsored by the CMTO)

• 3ZZZ – Building an Eth(n)ical Business Model for 3ZZZ
• 5THE FM – Rising Out of the Ashes of its Former Self
• 2MIA FM 95.1 – Station Leadership Committee
• 88.9 WynFM – Trudy Burkes
• Collie Community Radio – Transition to New Studio

Outstanding Fundraising & Sponsorship Contribution

• 96five – 96five’s Building Hope Appeal
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh 92.7 Sales Team
• Vision Australia Radio – Jason Gipps
• 4RFM – Brianna Baggow

Outstanding Presenter

• Radio Adelaide – Jarad McLoughlin: De-Stigmatised (Audio Ability Revisited segment)
• todayscountry94one – Alan Gilmour
• 3CR – Sasja Sÿdek: Queering the Air
• RTRFM – Jeff Bullen
• JOY 94.9 – Demetra Giannakopoulos

Outstanding Presenter News & Current Affairs (Sponsored by Deutsche Welle)

• 3BBR – Paul Strickland and West Gippsland Week Team
• 4ZZZ – Alexis Pink
• Lofty 88.9 – Johnny Emanuele
• Vision Australia Radio – Peter Greco for Vision Australia Radio
• Bay FM 99.9 – Mia Armitage

Outstanding Production Contribution

• RTRFM – Eddie Curtis
• JOY 94.9 – Elliot Attard
• Bay FM 99.9 – Bay FM Community Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness Campaign
• 2DRY FM – Water Watch Production Team
• 88.9 WynFM – Stephen Kernohan

Outstanding Station Leadership

• 3ZZZ – Jon King
• Alive 90.5 FM – Andsley Dennis
• 88.9 WynFM – Peter White
• Casey Radio 97.7FM – Nia McMartin
• 2DRY FM – Megan Williams

Outstanding Technical Contribution

• Phoenix FM – Peter Williams
• TripleT 103.9 – Warren Ray
• Alive 90.5 FM – Alive 90.5FM Tech Team
• Three D Radio
• SWR 99.9 FM – Alex Agaciak and Matt Reid

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution (Sponsored by The Centre for Volunteering)

• 3WAY-FM – Ann Morris
• Eastside Radio 89.7FM – Elliott Wallace
• Alive 90.5 FM – Rosh Vee
• CMS Radio FM 91.1 – Santhosh Nagaiah
• Fresh 92.7 – Cassandra Johns

Outstanding Youth Contribution (Sponsored by The Centre for Volunteering)

• RTRFM – Sharlene Baloch and IJ McKenna
• 2MIA FM 95.1 – Brodie Legge – Youth YAP & Midweek Madness
• 2NURFM – Olivia Dillon
• Switch Brisbane – School Yard Sounds
• CAAMA Radio – Briana Alexander

Troy Garner Award – Best Program: Sports

• Lofty 88.9 – The Huddle Reformed
• 3ZZZ – 3ZZZ Sports
• Triple H 100.1 FM – Triple H Sports – Coverage of NSW Men’s and Women’s Premier Cricket
• HOT FM Mildura – 2024 SFNL Football Broadcast
• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio – That’s a Wrap

Artificial Intelligence guardrails praised, Australia could lead globally in protecting local music creators

A joint statement from music rights organisation APRA AMCOS and peak body National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO)

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Music industry bodies APRA AMCOS and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) welcome new draft AI regulations announced today by the Australian Government, which include mandatory guardrails for transparency on datasets used in AI systems.

Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, says: “This regulatory milestone is a critical step forward in finding ways to protect the rights and livelihoods of music creators and ensuring a fairer and more sustainable industry.

“The introduction of mandatory transparency requirements would be a significant victory for our industry and has the potential to bring Australia into line with European Union and other international jurisdictions that value the economic, social and cultural importance of their arts, reative industries and communities.”

The draft guidelines published today by the Australian Government are a critical next step to ensure Australia’s regulatory system is fit-for-purpose to respond to the distinct risks that AI poses. They include mandatory transparency requirements and guardrails in high-risk settings that include those that would have adverse legal effects, defamation or similarly significant effects on an individual and to the broader Australian economy, society, environment and rule of law, which would include copyright.

“If implemented, these measures have the potential to compel AI platforms and developers to disclose the origin and composition of datasets used to train their systems,” adds Ormston.

“With this level of disclosure, artists, creators and rightsholders can level the playing field and negotiate appropriate agreements and ensure that their intellectual property is only used with the appropriate levels of consent, credit and remuneration.”

Last month APRA AMCOS released a landmark study – AI and Music – detailing the economic impact of AI on the music industry in Australia and New Zealand. The report highlighted alarming projections of revenue and income loss of 23% or $519m by 2028 for artists, songwriters and composers if AI technologies continue to operate without proper regulation and licensing. The report also included the largest survey of its kind, finding that 97% of songwriters, composers and music publishers demand that government pay more attention to the regulatory settings for AI and copyright.

“These draft regulations are a promising step towards protecting the livelihoods of music professionals and ensuring the economic benefits of AI are shared fairly. The industrial-scale copying and scraping by big tech companies to build large language models (LLMs) without regard for artists and creators must stop,” adds Ormston.

“However, these draft regulations are just the beginning. To be effective, these guardrails and transparency obligations must apply to all AI services that are made available in Australia, irrespective of where in the world the AI model’s training took place. This is a global industry and sanctions for non-compliance must also be imposed on platforms based overseas but operating in Australia to avoid unfair competition against local services who want to play by the rules.”

The draft regulations also include consideration for the adverse risks that AI pose to groups of individuals or collective rights of cultural groups. It is critical these guardrails protect the unique Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Leah Flanagan, Director of NATSIMO, says: “The rise of AI technology presents serious risks to the cultural and economic wellbeing of Indigenous communities. The APRA AMCOS report into AI found that 89% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander songwriters and composers surveyed believe that AI has the potential to lead to cultural appropriation.

“While government efforts have begun to address the unauthorised use of ICIP in arts and crafts, particularly in mass-produced items, this work must focus quickly to include all areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural creation.

“We encourage government to look to systems of cultural permission within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as a blueprint for the use of Indigenous cultural intellectual property within AI.”

APRA AMCOS and the NATSIMO are committed to working closely with government, industry stakeholders, and AI developers to ensure the successful design and implementation of these draft regulations. With the right protections in place, AI can complement and enhance both the music industry and the tech sector, to ensure these new technological advancements are fair and sustainable for all.

The full AI and Music Report and webinar are available at apraamcos.com.au/AIandmusic

– LISTEN TO WIN A SCHOOL VISIT AND LIVE READING FROM ANDY LEE –

The tenth time’s a charm for Andy Lee and his Do Not Open This Book series, with the latest edition, Do Not Open This Book It Stinks, now in stores, together with the read-along interactive audio version now available free on LiSTNR.

The new story takes readers on a journey of stinky smells, fascinating science facts and an unexpected encounter with a leprechaun. Voiced by Lee, the audio version features an engaging soundscape to bring the book to life and give parents and children an immersive read-along experience. Whilst the main character Wizz begins the story quite relaxed, it’s not long before he is bowled over by smelly footy boots, rotting fish and a skunk. As a touching tribute, Lee has dedicated this edition to his fiancée Rebecca Harding who, in a funny twist, inspired the stinky theme!

To celebrate Wizz’s stinky new adventure, by simply listening to the interactive audio version, kids can discover the code word for a special competition to win a visit from Andy Lee to read his book at their school!

Andy Lee said: “I sincerely hope no one listens to this for the sake of a blue monster called Wizz. He doesn’t want anyone reading the book or reading along with the book. So DO NOT listen to this audio book under any circumstance.”

LiSTNR Original Podcasts Head of Entertainment and Culture, Sam Cavanagh, said: “We’re thrilled that Andy continues to share the humour and creativity his audience know and love from Hamish & Andy, with younger audiences. Like everything Andy does, this interactive audio version of his new book is hilarious and will be enjoyed by parents and kids alike. All ten stories from the Do Not Open This Book series have been transformed into read-along immersive audio experiences and can be found on LiSTNR.”

Andy Lee is a podcaster, musician, TV presenter, and comedian and is best known as one-half of Hamish & Andy, Australia’s most popular podcast*. Lee became an award-winning children’s author by accident. The first book in the series, which he wrote as a surprise for his nephew George, was only ever meant to be printed once. However, since hitting bookshelves the series has gone on to be an international sensation and is sold across the globe.

Do Not Open This Week Book It Stinks can be sniffed out in stores and parents and children can read along with the free interactive audio version on LiSTNRnow.

Source: *Australian Podcast Ranker Top 200 Podcasts – July 2024

 About LiSTNR:

LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news, creating a new audio destination for all Australians. Featuring a fun and intuitive onboarding process, LiSTNR delivers an audio destination that is built for individual listeners’ routines and preferences. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations. Available across a large array of devices including both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV, LiSTNR enables a fantastic listening experience, anytime and anywhere. Open your Ears to a new world of audio – download the free app today. LiSTNR.com