ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has announced the appointment of Kelly Williams to the role of Director First Nations Strategy.

Kelly, a Bundjalung woman from Northern NSW, is the first Indigenous woman to join the ABC Leadership Team. She has worked at the ABC for more than 36 years and is passionate about creating pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Indigenous and diverse employees. 

Previously, Head of Indigenous, Diversity & Inclusion, Kelly has co-ordinated the ABC’s last three Reconciliation Action Plans and the 2023-2026 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan and lead the strategic partnerships between the ABC and First Nations Media Australia and First Languages Australia. 

She was appointed Acting Director last October and her responsibilities include developing the plan to implement actions in response to Dr Terri Janke’s Listen Loudly, Act Strongly report.

Kelly Williams: “There are many people who have contributed to the development of this important role of Director First Nations Strategy.

 “I am passionate about continuing that contribution and am excited to be working with Hugh and the Leadership Team to deliver the ‘Listen Loudly, Act Strongly’ implementation plan. 

“This will include a strong and ambitious Indigenous Employment Strategy for the ABC that delivers well defined and supported career pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.”

Hugh Marks: “Kelly has made a huge contribution to the ABC over more than three decades and will be a valuable voice on its Leadership Team.

“She will play a key role continuing to build on the significant change underway at the ABC to improve our workplaces and fully represent the Australian community.”

“I look forward to working with Kelly in realising her ambition to deliver real and lasting outcomes from her work.”

ARN’s iHeart has today marked another major industry milestone, celebrating its 60^th consecutive podcast ranker as Australia’s #1 Podcast Publisher – an unbroken five-year streak of dominance since the Australian Podcast Ranker first launched.

In that time, iHeart has more than doubled its downloads and grown its monthly audience by over 150% – reaching 6.8 million listeners and delivering more than 22 million downloads in April 2025 alone, underscoring its continued growth and influence across Australia’s podcasting landscape.

ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, Corey Layton, said: “Reaching 60 consecutive #1 rankers is more than just a milestone – it’s proof that iHeart is delivering the scale, consistency, and content quality that audiences love and advertisers trust. Our growth is being driven by a diverse slate of premium shows, strong strategic partnerships, and a laser focus on creating unmissable moments in audio. As we continue to grow, we’re offering brands even more powerful ways to connect with Australia’s most engaged podcast listeners.”

From news and pop culture to personal finance and true crime, iHeart’s diverse slate of content continues to attract millions of Australians each month. Standout performers for April include Life Uncut and The Kyle & Jackie O Show – both maintaining strong audience numbers despite being on a break.

The Daily Aus also remains a top performer, delivering fresh, impactful content tailored to younger audiences. This week, the show launched Investigating Ozempic – a powerful new three-part series hosted by TDA Features Editor Emma Gillespie. The podcast dives into the growing popularity of weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, unpacking the ethical, medical, and cultural conversations shaping this fast-evolving trend.

Other highlights from ARN’s lineup include On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Stuff You Should Know, She’s on the Money, and BBC Studios’ Global News Podcast and Stalked.

The CBAA is restructuring to better serve its members and to reflect the changing nature of the community broadcasting sector. 

Matt Field has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Content, where he will lead our content services across news, music, programs and Powerd Media. 

Andrew Morris will take on the new position of Senior Manager, Technology and Digital Innovation, focusing on the continued development of our technology platforms, including DAB+ Development, Online Services and IT/Infrastructure. 

General Manager Diana Burnett will continue to lead the Technology and Operations teams and will now also oversee Sales and Grants. 

As part of these changes, Sharmaine Spencer (Content Services Manager) and Declan Kelly (Head of Development) are moving on to new opportunities at the end of May.  

We thank Sharmaine and Declan for their hard work and commitment to supporting community broadcasters and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. 

Arrangements following the end of May 

For enquiries relating to the day-to-day operation of the Community Radio Network, such as submitting programs, contact Beth Tracey at bethany.tracey@cbaa.org.au. 

For enquiries relating to grants, sponsorship and partnerships please contact Diana Burnett at diana.burnett@cbaa.org.au. 

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please reach out at support@cbaa.org.au. 

The latest official Australian Podcast Ranker has been released by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Triton Digital. Below are the top five charts for April. The complete charts can be viewed  here.   

For the first time since the same period in 2024, April 2025 saw ‘News’ claim the top genre spot ahead of ‘Society & Culture.’  

Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcasts April 2025
Podcast		Producer	Monthly Listeners
1	The Mel Robbins Podcast	SiriusXM Podcast Network	1,237,121
2	Hamish & Andy	LiSTNR (SCA)	801,793
3	ABC News Top Stories	Australian Broadcasting Corporation	798,978
4	Mamamia Out Loud	Mamamia	527,741
5	Shameless	Shameless Media	511,189

Australian Podcast Ranker top five genres April 2025
Genre		Monthly Listeners
1	News	4,922,216
2	Society & Culture	4,690,408
3	True Crime	3,845,829
4	Sports	3,660,723
5	Comedy	3,599,012

Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcast publishers April 2025
Publisher		Monthly Listeners
1	ARN/iHeart	4,094,599
2	LiSTNR (SCA)	3,469,098
3	SiriusXM Podcast Network	3,273,905
4	Australian Broadcasting Corporation	2,790,103
5	News Corp Australia	2,114,859

Top five sales representatives by monthly listeners April 2025
Sales representatives		Publishers represented	Monthly Listeners
1	LiSTNR (SCA)	LiSTNR (SCA) / SiriusXM Podcast Network / audiochuck / Wondery / DM Podcasts / NBCUniversal News Group	7,966,048
2	ARN / iHeart	ARN / iHeartMedia / Audioboom / AdLarge Media / Sport Social Podcast Network / The Athletic / The Investors Podcast Network / All Ears English / Sony Music / Clubby Sports / NZME / TED / BBC	6,770,783
3	NOVA Entertainment	NOVA Entertainment / News Corp Australia / Podshape/ Schwartz Media / Johns Media	3,256,189
4	News Corp Australia	News Corp Australia	2,114,859
5	Nine	Nine Radio / Nine Publishing	1,494,203

 About the Australian Podcast Ranker 

The Australian Podcast Ranker is a monthly snapshot of the top 200 podcasts listened to by Australians, the top 200 Australian podcasts, the 20 biggest publishers and the 20 most successful podcast sales representatives. 

The Australian Podcast Ranker is an industry initiative commissioned by CRA and published by Triton Digital. Results comply with IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines. 

ARN has unveiled a fresh marketing campaign for The Kyle & Jackie O Show in Melbourne, centred around the bold new tagline: “Radio Gone Rogue!”.

Created entirely in-house, the campaign celebrates the show’s raw, unfiltered energy and marks the next phase in ARN’s strategy to grow its Melbourne audience.

Rolling out across outdoor, digital, social and TV, the campaign is headlined by a tongue-in-cheek TV commercial that launched yesterday. Based on a hugely successful concept the show has run previously, the next instalment is once again set in a focus group where participants share their brutally honest opinions on Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson – while the pair secretly watch on. Multiple executions of the TVC will roll out in the coming weeks, each highlighting different unscripted and unfiltered reactions to the show.

The new creative direction builds on ARN’s previous Melbourne campaign, We’re Behaving, which launched in early 2025 and successfully reignited listener interest, driving both re-trial and ratings growth. Now, nearly six months on, the focus shifts to attracting new listeners, with this next phase celebrating what has always made The Kyle & Jackie O Show truly stand out.

Lauren Joyce, ARN’s Chief Audience & Content Officer, said: “The only thing routine about The Kyle & Jackie O Show is the timeslot – every morning it is unexpected and goes against the grain of formulaic radio. It’s a little bit rogue, in the best possible way.
“Radio Gone Rogue! taps into what listeners, both loyal and new, tell us they love most about the show; it’s bold, it goes where others won’t and frankly, it’s unswitchoffable.”

The integrated campaign is now live across Melbourne’s key outdoor sites, digital platforms, and social media, with TV coverage continuing in the coming weeks.

CREDITS
Chief Audience & Content Officer – Lauren Joyce
Head of Marketing – Donna Gordon
KIIS Senior Brand Manager – James Duffield
Head of Creative Production – Sean Vandenberg
Creative Director – Ante Miocic
Director – Phoebe Edwards
DOP – Becky Lillyman
Cameraman – Josh Hayes, Luke Rodely, Lucas Corroto
Creative Servies Coordinator – Prue Bowtell
Music – West One Music
Sound Design – Todd Falusi
Graphic Effects & Grade – Nik Palin
Graphic Design – Gabrielle Revells & Mikey Fleming

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has announced the appointment of Freya Campbell as Director of Communications.

Freya brings strong credentials in stakeholder engagement, issues management, government relations and developing communications across channels and platforms. 

Currently Freya is Executive Director Strategic Communications at UNSW Sydney, managing external and internal communications, including media and the Vice-Chancellor’s communications.

Previously she was Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), managing a team responsible for communications across 80 locations in 48 markets. 

Freya Campbell: “I’m excited to join the ABC at a time when trust in media has never been more important. Like so many Australians, I grew up with the ABC’s iconic 7PM News theme signalling the nightly ritual of trusted national and global news beamed into the family lounge room. 

“My media consumption across platforms has evolved over the years but the ABC has remained my preferred source of entertainment and information.”

Hugh Marks: “We’re incredibly fortunate to have someone of Freya’s background and skills join the ABC Leadership Team. I can see how much she’ll bring to how we talk about the vital role of the ABC with employees, stakeholders, media and audiences.” 

Freya will start with the ABC on 7 July.

• Opportunity to make an impact
• Responsible for leading the Powerd Media project
• Alexandria location, flexible working arrangements available

The role

We are looking for an expert who will provide oversight across Disability Media activities for Powerd Media including developing and implementing new content and collaborating with Reading Radio stations and other Disability Media organisations to ensure Powerd Media is meeting the needs of the Sector.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee Powerd Media initiatives based on grant funding requirements.
• Coordinate all Powerd Media partnerships, collaborations, interviews and other productions and events.
• Actively pursue grant opportunities for Powerd Media initiatives.
• Provide support and guidance to broadcasters.
• Manage Powerd Media planning, schedules and budget as per the content strategy and plan.
• Work with CBAA departments to promote Powerd Media initiatives to the sector and government.
• Collaborate with the News Network Director and Disability Rights Reporter on news and current affairs opportunities for Powerd Media.
• Engage with key stakeholders including Disability Media Australia to understand their needs to support their goals.

Your experience includes:

• Previous demonstrated experience in a similar role
• Deep understanding and experience of the role of community broadcasting and the disability media sector
• Be able to build partnerships with disability organisations and advocates utilising existing networks
• Have strong connections to and have a deep understanding of the disability community and culture, language etc
• Demonstrated ability to champion and drive change
• Superior problem-solving skills including the ability to identify risk and implement solutions
• High level interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Proven ability to work autonomously
• Results-focused and ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
• High levels of personal drive and energy
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability
• Willingness to work outside standard hours when required, specifically where workload or
• deadlines require
• Experience within the Not-for-Profit community based or membership-based organisations

Application Process

We are committed to improving outcomes for our communities, and value diversity and inclusion. We actively seek and welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and with lived experience in the communities we aim to serve (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people, the LGBTQIA+ community and people of diverse genders and faiths).

We are happy to consider flexible employment arrangements, including other locations and virtual/hybrid work arrangements for the right candidate.

To apply submit your resume (max three pages) and a cover letter (max two pages) addressing the requirements and reason for application via Apply Now on Ethical Jobs. Successful applicants will be contacted for interview.

Suitable candidates may be shortlisted for interview as applications are received. For enquiries about this role, please email matt.field@cbaa.org.au using the subject line: Powerd Media Lead enquiry via the CBAA website.

“…the bad singers, we were directed to keep them, that was part of the format, not a part of my career that I’m proud of, to ridicule somebody who clearly doesn’t have talent is just cruel.” Stephen Tate, former Australian Idol Executive Producer

It’s a seductive dream factory: ordinary Australians with musical talent offered the opportunity to become overnight stars via a TV talent show. 

But a new LiSTNR podcast documentary The Moment It Changed: Touchdown lifts the lid on the reality of how we’ve been manipulated by blockbuster shows, from Popstars to Australian Idol and The Voice.

Listeners will hear confronting stories of exploitation, deceit and humiliation from former judges, producers and contestants, as well as the extraordinary journeys of those who achieved euphoric fame and success. 

Among those speaking out candidly in the podcast are former Australian Idol judges Mark Holden and Ian “Dicko” Dickson, past winners Dami Im, Casey Donovan, Karise Eden and Katie Underwood, and ex-contestants Rob “Millsy” Mills and Bella Farraro.

The Moment It Changed: Touchdown was produced by respected music journalist Cameron Adams, senior producer Jake Morcom and LiSTNR’s Factual team. The series is hosted by Nic Kelly, a former record label executive, DJ and now co-host of The Hot Hits with Nic & Loren across the Hit Network.

Host, Nic Kelly, said: “I was a huge fan of the original Australian Idol growing up, and reality music TV helped develop my love for music and pop culture in general. But as someone who works in both media and music, I knew what we see on TV isn’t the whole story. I hope some of what we have uncovered will open people’s eyes to what goes into a musician’s choice to appear on these shows, and what could be done to make them more effective for new artists.”

LiSTNR Head of Factual, Clair Weaver, said: “Millions of us have laughed, cheered and cried our way through music talent shows on Australian TV over the past 25 years. But now The Moment It Changed: Touchdown exposes the confronting truth about what happens behind the scenes and how we’ve all been played. This is an important podcast from the LiSTNR Factual team and Nic Kelly brings extraordinary passion, experience and expertise as host.”

For the first time, discover the truth about what really happens behind the scenes of your favourite music reality TV show on The Moment It Changed: Touchdown, listen for free on the LiSTNR app. 

Podcast credits:
Journalist & Producer: Cameron Adams 
Senior Producer: Jake Morcom
Senior Producer: Romy Sher
Producer: Holly Mitchell 
Host: Nic Kelly

Host bio:
Nic Kelly is a passionate advocate for Australian music, and co-host of the Hit Network’s national night show The Hot Hits with Nic & Loren. With over a decade of experience in the music industry, Kelly has hosted various music-focussed shows across the Hit Network, launched Night High Records in collaboration with EMI, and founded leading youth-targeted music media platform Project U. 

About LiSTNR:
LiSTNR is a curated and personalised free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news 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, 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 

The 3AW family is deeply saddened by the passing of Robert Walls, an iconic voice and valued member of our football commentary team for over 15 years. Robert’s unique, no-nonsense style wasn’t just commentary; it was a force that reshaped how the game was discussed on air and played a pivotal role in cementing 3AW’s enduring legacy as the leading voice of AFL.

Robert’s arrival at 3AW was almost fate. A chance encounter orchestrated by a determined Anthony Hudson, who bravely approached him during his final days as Richmond coach, led to an insightful interview that was so compelling, it seamlessly transitioned into a permanent role in the 3AW Football box.

For over a decade, Robert became an indispensable part of our broadcasts, his sharp analysis and unwavering opinions shared alongside legendary figures like Rex Hunt, Clinton Grybas, Tony Shaw, Sam Newman, Graeme Bond, Dennis Cometti, Tony Leonard, Gerard Healy, Mike Sheahan, and Caroline Wilson. His direct approach wasn’t always conventional, but it was always authentic and undeniably Robert. He brought a new dimension to the special commentator role, challenging norms and enriching the listener experience.

The energy and chemistry of Robert’s broadcasts with Rex, the passion he shared with Clinton, the banter with Shawry, and the camaraderie with Bondy created truly unforgettable radio moments – broadcasts that have become legendary within the 3AW archives and live on in the memories of our listeners.

Robert Walls was more than just a commentator; he was a character, a presence, and a friend to so many within the 3AW family, both on and off-air. His impact on our football coverage is immeasurable, and his legacy as a true great of football broadcasting will endure. We will forever cherish his contributions and the unique flavour he brought to every Saturday afternoon.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Robert’s family and friends during this sad time.

For those wishing to share their memories of Robert Walls, please feel free to engage with 3AW’s platforms.

Following the re-election of the Albanese government last week, the Prime Minister has announced a new Cabinet, including changes to key Ministerial positions which work with the community broadcasting sector. 

Anika Wells will be our new Minister for Communications, following the promotion of Michelle Rowland to Attorney-General. We look forward to continuing our work with Minister Wells to achieve our sector’s goals in Roadmap 2033 and the sustainability review.  

The CBAA acknowledges the support we received from Minister Rowland, who was a regular visitor to community stations and a vocal advocate for our sector, helping achieve increased funding and the extension of community television broadcasting. 

New Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, will replace our former Minister, Amanda Rishworth, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Powerd media platform made by and for people with disability.   

Dr Anne Aly will be the new Minister for Multicultural Affairs, with Tony Burke (who previously ran Multicultural Affairs) remaining as Minister for the Immigration and Citizenship and Minister for the Arts, among other roles. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy will continue as Minister for Indigenous Australians. 

The CBAA congratulates the members of the new Ministry.   

We are fortunate to have productive working relationships with the Government and other parties, and we will be reaching out to arrange meetings in the coming weeks. 

The Hon Anika Wells MP, the new Minister for Communications