“The work that you do is so incredibly important…sharing people’s stories and lives. It’s something to be so proud of and you are remarkable. So please keep up your amazing, amazing work.” – Bindi Irwin on Sarah Grynberg and A Life of Greatness.

The popular LiSTNR podcast A Life of Greatness with Sarah Grynberg returns for its highly anticipated ninth season on Tuesday, February 4. Celebrated for its compelling interviews and powerful storytelling, the show continues to captivate listeners with deep dives into the lives of extraordinary individuals with high-profile celebrity guests including Matthew McConaughey, Olivia Newton-John, Jada Pinkett-Smith and thought leaders like Deepak Chopra, Esther Perel and Dr Andrew Huberman. This season kicks off with an in-depth conversation with conservationist Bindi Irwin.

In the first episode, Bindi Irwin opens up about her 10-year struggle with health issues before being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing life-changing surgery in the United States. Reflecting on the procedure, she shares, “…if I hadn’t gotten surgery, the next five years of my life would have been very make-or-break because I was having real problems.”

Sarah Grynberg said: “After more than 200 interviews, and hundreds of episodes of A Life of Greatness, I can truly say that season nine is our best yet. Our guests open up to share their triumphs, lessons and wisdom, so that we can all learn how to live a life of greatness. From Australian icon Bindi Irwin, to one of the biggest mindset coaches in the world, Mel Robbins, this season is going to be incredible.”

LiSTNR Original Podcasts Head of Entertainment and Culture, Sam Cavanagh, said: “Launching the ninth season of A Life of Greatness is an extraordinary feat, and Sarah continues to raise the bar with the calibre of guests and quality of conversation in every episode. A Life of Greatness deserves its place amongst Australia’s best podcasts.” ”

All previous seasons of A Life of Greatness with Sarah Grynberg are available on LiSTNR, including interviews with Rick Astley, Daniel Ricardo, Darren Hayes and Jay Shetty.

In addition, starting Friday, February 7, Sarah Grynberg debuts a new podcast, Sarah’s Thoughts, a series where she shares the content closest to her heart—personal, unfiltered, and unapologetically honest. It’s a space dedicated to raw reflections and bold ideas. In the first episode Sarah explores why we should stop idolising so-called ‘gurus’, and the importance of trusting our own wisdom.

A Life of Greatness with Sarah Grynberg has new episodes available every Tuesday and Sarah’s Thoughts is available every Friday on LiSTNR.

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

Have you ever spat into a tube in the hopes of finding out your family’s lineage and unknown history? Has someone in your family taken a seemingly simple DNA test as a fun activity, thinking not much will come of it? It turns out, there’s actually far more privacy, power and profit on the line than most people realise, and you can get caught up in DNA data’s dark side without ever having made your own donation.

The latest season of the award-winning Secrets We Keep podcast, Should I Spit?, dives into the blueprint for life – DNA – and how its exploitation has become a key player in crime, corporations and the world’s wealthiest church. Should I Spit? is available exclusively on LiSTNR from 4 February and across all platforms from 6 March.

Secrets We Keep: Should I Spit? is presented by award-winning investigative journalist, Claire Aird, who has spent four years chasing the story about the complex and chaotic world of DNA data. The series takes Claire everywhere from Salt Lake City in the US – both the centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the heart of the global DNA and family history industry – to the Australian Federal Police, who are also embracing Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy.

Along the way she discovers the Mormon Church’s unexpected links to DNA data collection, a multibillion-dollar direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry profiting from people’s profiles, a mass DNA screening operation in rural New South Wales, a wrongfully implicated man in a murder investigation, and so much more.

This LiSTNR podcast will be a must-listen for anyone interested in security, privacy, technology, corporate greed, true crime, the safety of their family, and anyone who has ever thought about spitting into a tube.

Secrets We Keep: Should I Spit? host, Claire Aird, added:  “Our DNA is the code that makes us who we are. It holds information about what we look like, where we come from, family relatedness, our propensity for disease and even mental illness. Police in Australia, as in many other countries globally, are pushing ahead with new DNA technologies, taking DNA from a basic tool of identification into a form of intelligence. This has the potential to radically change policing. What concerns me is this gradual integration of advanced DNA capabilities and search methods into our criminal justice system is occurring without a public conversation.”

LiSTNR Head of Factual, Clair Weaver, said: “Should I Spit? is an exceptional podcast that combines quality investigative journalism with a riveting true crime story. Listeners will discover the truth about the global DNA industry, why many Australians’ personal information is stored in a secretive mountain vault in Utah owned by the Mormon church, and how an innocent person could be dragged into a murder investigation because a distant relative wanted to explore their family tree. Both here in Australia and around the world, we’ve reached a point where you can’t afford to ignore the value and potential consequences of giving up your DNA. 

This season of Secrets We Keep demonstrates LiSTNR’s ongoing commitment to publishing powerful and important journalism that engages audiences and drives change.”

Secrets We Keep: Should I Spit? is a nine-part podcast series, available on LiSTNR from 4 February, and all other podcast platforms from 6 March. Download the LiSTNR app and sign-up to listen for free.

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 

Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), in partnership with Triton Digital, today launched the Australian Podcast Report for 2024, highlighting the rapid rise of podcasting across the nation. With a 37% increase in listenership over the last two years, podcasts have firmly cemented their position as a dominant force in Australia’s media landscape, engaging on average nearly 6 million weekly listeners. This growth has been driven by an expanding and diversifying roster of participating publishers, reflecting the increasing appetite for on-demand audio content.

Lizzie Young, Chief Executive Officer, CRA said, “Podcasting’s growth and scale are undeniable, with 63% of podcasts now achieving over 100,000 average monthly downloads in 2024. This surge is fuelled by the diversity of content available and the ease of on-demand access.”

Podcasting’s reach remains strong, with 48% of younger Australians (18-34) listening in the last month. Additionally, 37% of Australians aged 35-54 and 21% aged 55+ also tuned in over the past month. This broad demographic appeal signals the growing popularity of the medium across all age groups.

Ms Young added, “As podcasting continues to evolve, it offers exceptional opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences in meaningful and measurable ways.”

Mobile devices dominate podcast consumption, with 94.2% of listeners tuning in via this platform, emphasising the medium’s accessibility and integration into modern lifestyles.

Society & Culture, True Crime, and News are the dominant genres, reflecting the medium’s diverse appeal. True Crime listeners are 57% more likely to consume more than five hours of podcast content per week.

To explore the full findings, download the 2024 Australian Podcast Report here.

Tanya Denning-Orman takes on expanded senior role as Director, First Nations, reflecting the national broadcaster’s commitment to amplifying the voices and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the network. 

A proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman, Tanya Denning-Orman has been announced to lead an elevated network-wide strategic approach to Indigenous content across all SBS channels and platforms as Director, First Nations, for SBS.

Tanya Denning-Orman SBS Director, First Nations.

(photo: Claudine Thornton) 

In addition to building on the network’s growth and success in First Nations storytelling and coverage, she will lead strategies to further embed Indigenous cultural perspectives throughout the organisation. The new role will also be focused on enhancing organisational capability, supporting community engagement and partnerships, and driving the ongoing development of Indigenous staff and the employee experience.

SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “Indigenous content, cultures, and leadership holds an integral place in our network today, and in its future. We’re proud at SBS to have a strong record of championing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and perspectives, and Tanya’s appointment as Director, First Nations reflects our commitment to continuing to grow that legacy.

“As well as leading the evolution and expansion of the Indigenous content strategy across SBS, Tanya will play a critical leading role in continuing to evolve and transform SBS as the national, contemporary public broadcaster for all Australians. She will further embed Indigenous cultural perspectives in our strategy, impacting how we meaningfully engage with communities and how we operate and innovate as a network.

“This reflects our ambition as a network to continue to deepen our approach, and builds on the achievements Tanya has been instrumental in driving across the network, her extensive experience and expertise, as well as SBS’s role and responsibility as an Elevate RAP partner, and the growth and success of NITV.”

Denning-Orman added: “This marks another chapter for SBS in bringing Australians together to benefit from increasing understanding and connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, cultures and history. It demonstrates the vital role First Nations perspectives have as part of a network that has a history of being a pioneer in ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have an authentic voice and a platform in the national media, and an ambition and commitment to reach higher, and continue to do more.

“We are seeing more Australians connect with our content – we’re sharing more First Nations stories than ever before across SBS’s news and current affairs, and in more than 60 languages across SBS Audio. But the opportunity ahead for SBS is not only in building on our unique content and coverage, but in how we operate as an organisation, the way we support our people and work with each other, how we engage and partner with communities, how we collaborate across our industry, and as an innovator in an ever-changing media landscape.”

Denning-Orman moves into this new role after almost five years on the SBS Executive team as SBS’s Director of Indigenous Content, and 12 years of running National Indigenous Television (NITV) as part of the SBS network. Under her leadership, SBS has significantly increased its Indigenous content output and grown audience consumption of Indigenous content across its platforms, while NITV has experienced increasing TV audiences, growth in commercial revenue, and has continued to increase investment in the Indigenous production sector delivering award-wining and critically-acclaimed programming. With her new appointment, Denning-Orman will now step back from the management and operations of NITV, while continuing to work closely with the team in the delivery of the network-wide Indigenous Content Strategy.

“This shift will also continue to support NITV’s trajectory,” Denning-Orman continued. “Since joining the channel in 2007, I’ve been a part of its evolution into the loud and proud voice for mob it is today, and seen the growing influence it has as part of SBS and the wider media sector. This has been possible because of the trailblazing work of those who paved the way decades ago for the right for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have our unique stories, languages, cultures and aspirations accurately reflected and celebrated in the national media landscape, and because of the dedicated NITV team today who are continuing the work, guided by a strengthened leadership team taking the channel to new heights. I look forward to working with the NITV team, along with colleagues across SBS, in more exciting work ahead.”

NITV will recruit a new position of General Manager with editorial and operational responsibility for NITV, a role that recognises the strength of the NITV senior leadership team across the channel’s strategy and day-to-day operations.. Jason Oakley, Head of Business, Relationships and Community Impact at NITV, will be Acting General Manager, with a process to be undertaken for the role ongoing.

The Kyle & Jackie O Show have started 2025 with a bang, taking their show to new heights – literally – with their $100K Ball Drop this morning.

In front of eager onlookers and participants, the Kyle & Jackie O helicopter took to the skies and soared above the Elsternwick Park Tennis Centre in Melbourne, raining down 200 foam tennis balls worth an incredible $100,000 in cash and diamonds.

This once-in-a-lifetime event brought together The Kyle & Jackie O Show listeners from both Sydney and Melbourne for a morning of adrenaline, prizes and fun, whilst celebrating Australia’s beloved tennis season.

100 lucky listeners took to the court in the ultimate grab and dash, picking up two tennis balls each that were safely dropped from the chopper into the drop zone. The balls were colour-coded to specific prizes, which included cash amounts up to $20,000 and stunning diamond tennis bracelets from House of K’dor, and rained down from Melbourne’s skies with everyone walking home a winner.

Natalie from Sydney was overcome with emotion as it was revealed live on air that she had won $10,000 in cash. Through tears of excitement, Natalie said: “I really needed the money. When you’re really in need of something and Kyle & Jackie O come along with an opportunity like this, it’s just amazing.”

Melbourne resident Chelsea was quick to snatch a tennis ball, equating to the highest individual amount of $20,000. When asked what she will do with the money, Chelsea said: “It’s my 50^th birthday next year, so I want to put the money towards a cruise in New Zealand with my family. I also told my friend that I would give her $2,000, so that will be coming her way too.”

Kyle Sandilands said: “We flew people in from all over the place to give them the chance to win big this morning. Everyone wanted the money; everyone is struggling for cash no matter who you are or what you do. Everyone is feeling the pinch.”

Jackie ‘O’ Henderson said: “We were so excited to bring something this big to Melbourne to kick off a huge 2025 for our show. We can’t wait to bring even more surprises to them this year.”

The Kyle & Jackie O Show can be heard weekdays from 6-10am on KIIS 106.5 in Sydney and KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne, or via the free iHeart app.