Radio Industry News

Melbourne’s no. 1 FM Breakfast show, Fifi, Fev & Nick, is inviting listeners to join Melbourne’s biggest party in a new campaign that reinforces the trio’s strong connections with the hearts and minds of Melburnians.

The ‘Melbourne’s Biggest Party’ campaign brings to life the energy, fun and excitement of being a part of the show by listening to Fifi, Fev & Nick on The Fox.

Featuring a pimped up stretch limo, the trio rocking motorbikes and leathers and a party bus, with real listeners joining the party, the multi-million dollar campaign will run across TV, BVOD, cinema, socials, digital audio and out-of-home.

The commercial was filmed across multiple locations in Melbourne and aims to reinforce The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick as the city’s no. 1 FM Breakfast show. The soundtrack to the campaign is the ARIA-nominated dance track People Happyby up-and-coming Aussie producers KLP and Stace Cadet.

This year, Fifi, Fev & Nick are taking the show to every corner of Melbourne with its popular ‘Brekky in the Burbs’, bringing the biggest stars to the suburbs – from Steven Sanchez live from Sunbury, Delta Goodrem in Pakenham, Amy Shark in Mornington, The Wiggles in Epping to Guy Sebastian in Ringwood – and giving away massive prizes to Melburnians.

SCA Head of Hit Metro Content and The Fox Content Director, Amanda Lee, said: “Fifi, Fev & Nick have such a strong heritage in Melbourne and a deep connection and love for their audience. ‘Brekky in the Burbs’ has been the perfect way to further connect with their audiences on the ground. The team is Melbourne through and through and we know our listeners love the energy and fun they bring to Breakfast and this campaign reinforces our strong position here.”

SCA Head of Consumer Marketing, Naomi Gorringe, said: “Fifi, Fev & Nick on The Fox is the antidote to the daily grind and seriousness of the world. For three hours every weekday morning, listeners can escape the mundane and their worries and jump into a place where it’s pure fun and frivolity.

“This campaign brings that energy to life with Melbourne’s biggest party and a soundtrack to match. It is a great way to celebrate Melbourne’s most listened to radio show.”

The campaign, which went to air last night, can be viewed here: Fifi, Fev & Nick on The Fox – Melbourne’s Biggest Party on Vimeo.

LiSTNR today announced a second season of the successful 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers podcast with host Davina Smith to loudly explore the often silent truth of perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA).

For many parents, pregnancy and the first year of parenthood can be a challenging and overwhelming time, but for one in five mothers and one in 10 fathers, those bad days become the norm when they are experiencing PNDA.

The Gidget Foundation Australia has once again partnered with LiSTNR to shine a light on those affected with season two of 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers.

Nine News presenter Davina Smith and her husband Mark gave birth to their daughter Rose in 2016. The isolation of being away from family and friends and with their baby daughter experiencing reflux and food allergies, along with sleep deprivation, saw Davina diagnosed with PNDA after several months.

In season two of the podcast, Davina, who is now a Gidget Foundation ambassador, will provide listeners with raw and honest accounts from some of the one in five mothers and one in ten fathers living with PNDA. Paired with expert insights from psychologists and counsellors in the field, this podcast explores the realities of parenthood, breaks down the stigma surrounding perinatal mental health, and gives parents the tools on how and when to seek support.

Special guests this season include Ellidy Pullin, the host of LiSTNR’s Darling, Shine!, who tragically lost her husband, mother of triplets and Director of the Australian Multiple Birth Association Silje Andersen-Cooke, solo mum Alexandra Collier, mental health educator Kylianne Farrell, and experts including Dr Daniel Golshevsky from the Dr Golly and the Experts podcast, and clinical psychologist Dr Erin Seeto, among others.

Gidget Foundation Australia was established 23 years ago to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate and specialist care. Gidget was the nickname of a vibrant young mother who tragically took her own life while experiencing postnatal depression, a diagnosis that she kept to herself.

1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers host, Davina Smith, said: “I’m so honoured to help share the stories of these wonderful parents in the second series of the podcast. Last year we spoke to families who faced a perinatal anxiety or depression diagnosis. This year is a little different. It’s a tool kit for parenting, inspiration for when the Hollywood script of having a baby doesn’t run exactly to plan – when does it ever though? We offer practical tips to guide you through those challenges, easy things you can incorporate into your busy, crazy, challenging, unique, colourful, and frustrating new life as a parent.

“My greatest fear when I was very sick with PNDA was I was failing, and I was all alone. Through these stories we prove you are not alone. We all feel it, being a parent is tough. During recording, I laughed and cried, every parent we spoke to hitting a nerve and helping me now even in my parenting journey. I hope listeners like me will be empowered and supported by these deeply personal stories.”

Gidget Foundation Australia Marketing Director, Alicia Yelavich, said: “At Gidget Foundation Australia, we hope to ensure that all parents know they are not alone, and that support is available to them when needed. Our podcast alike shares carefully curated stories to demonstrate that every parent’s journey is unique and that no two experiences are the same. In season two, we delve deep into some taboo topics that come with pregnancy and the newborn phase, such as IVF, grief and loss, and single parenting. It is our hope that listeners will find comfort and connection in these honest stories and take away some helpful tips from our experts.”

LiSTNR Senior Executive Producer, Branded Podcasts, Todd Stevens, said: “This latest season of the podcast builds on the foundations created in season one where stories of PNDA and coping strategies were discussed and takes it further by unpacking the vast array of challenges that parents face, and the impact that these challenges can have on mental and overall health.

“Covering topics ranging from solo parenting to the nuances of raising neurodivergent children, and the unique intricacies of parenting triplets, these personal stories and the roundtables that follow them will offer valuable insights to anyone undergoing their own parenting journey. LiSTNR is proud to partner with the Gidget Foundation to discuss such an important topic.”

Launching today, 1 May, 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers will have eight episodes in season two, released fortnightly every second Wednesday. Listen here on LiSTNR.

The Hit Network today announced Perry ‘Pez’ Lazaris will be taking over the Hit Network’s regional Afternoon shift from Monday, 6 May.

Pez knows a thing or two about radio with a career spanning over 15 years, working in Townsville, Adelaide, Western Australia and most recently, Newcastle. Now, Pez will take over the national regional shift that broadcasts across most of Australia from Hobart to Broome and Albany to Cairns. He will host the program from SCA’s Gold Coast studio.

Pez said: “After spending the last decade achieving some massive personal and professional goals in Newy, I’m excited to be entering the next phase of my radio journey by joining the amazing team on the GC.

“A big thankyou to every single person in the Newcastle team who has made the last 10 years some of the best – now bring on sunny Queensland!”

SCA Head of Content – Regional, Blair Woodcock, said: “We’re so excited to have Pez across the country on the Hit Network. Over the last 15 years, Pez has shown he’s got the creativity and the enthusiasm to nail this role and we can wait to watch him!”

Listen to Pez weekdays 12-3pm from Monday, 6 May across the regional Hit Network and LiSTNR.

 

About The Hit Network

The Hit Network is Australia’s biggest radio network broadcasting across metro and regional markets with a unique collection of 50 FM and DAB+ stations. The Hit Network targets people aged 25 – 54, skews female and features a mood focused, ‘feel great’ pop music format alongside the most entertaining local breakfast and national drive shows. It is home to popular personalities including Carrie Bickmore, Tommy Little, Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola, Nick Cody, Ed Kavalee, Dave Hughes, Erin Molan, Abby Coleman, Matty Acton, Stav Davidson and many more.

The Hit Network entertains more than 6 million Aussie radio listeners across B105, 2Day, The Fox, SAFM, Mix94.5, Sea FM, 41 Hit stations plus DAB+ stations including Oldskool 90s Hits, Buddha Hits, Oldskool 80s Hits, RnB Fridays Radio and Dance Hits. All Hit Network’s content is also available live or on demand on the LiSTNR app.

It’s a question rarely posed in public: do I want kids?

It’s also one that Laura Henshaw from the highly successful LiSTNR podcast KICPOD co-hosted with  Steph Claire Smith, is pondering.

After raising the subject on a recent KICPOD episode to overwhelming support from people across the world, Laura has recorded a limited series podcast with people from all walks of life; from parenthood mentors to child-free advocates, career-driven professionals, stay-at-home mums, young and older parents, relationship experts, medical specialists and her own husband Dalton Henshaw, about this sensitive and incredibly personal decision.

“I have never been inundated with more messages than after I spoke about the issue for the first time on the podcast. For women and people between the ages of 20 and 40, who don’t feel ‘born’ to be a mother or parent, there is so much shame around their decision and so many women feel alone in this feeling, when it is incredibly common,” said Laura.

“The fear of losing ourselves, giving up a life we love, the impact children can have on our relationships, our inner selves, are all so very common. And if we do decide to have kids, is it even possible for us? Although parenthood is a choice, it’s not always guaranteed,” she said.

Do I Want Kids? discusses the question in a safe and honest space and begins on LiSTNR TOMORROW Wednesday 15 May 2024 with episodes every Wednesday and Friday for seven episodes – listen to the trailer here

“Across the world more women and couples are choosing not to have children, and that’s OK. In a pro-natal society, it still feels taboo to speak about the decision to have, or not to have, children,” said Laura.

“I wanted to create a safe space in this mini-series to ask the questions we feel we can’t ask but are so important in shaping our decision. Having children is a very personal choice, one that isn’t guaranteed, and through this limited series I hope to give people going through this process some breathing space, and conversations, to bring the question into the open, because it’s one of the biggest decisions we will ever make,” she said.

“Yes, this is a decision that is close to my heart right now. I have my own thoughts and reservations about having children and I wanted to create a platform for people like me to hear a wide range of different perspectives and feel less alone and better informed. I want to normalise this conversation.

“Throughout the limited podcast series, with insights from experts and people’s real stories, we are able to really break through the misconception that having children is essential for a ‘successful’ life full of love and joy. Life can be beautiful both with and without children, and exploring this was incredibly freeing. I hope listeners are able to feel the same way.”

Laura and Steph are two of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, authors and healthy living advocates and together have created one of the world’s most holistic wellness empires, in Kic. The KICPOD launched five years ago and is one of Australia’s top 50 most listened to podcasts*. It’s a D&M with your besties on the stuff that matters.

Listen to regular episodes of KICPOD here and the limited series Do I Want Kids? from tomorrow.

Source: *Australian Podcast Ranker Top 200 All Australian Podcasts – March 2024

LISTNR is Australia’s undisputed no.1 sales representation network taking the Podcast Ranker top position 20 times, with more than 7.29 million listeners-

The podcast phenomenon that is Hamish & Andy keeps breaking records, once again taking the crown as Australia’s top podcast for the 20^th time, reaching almost 918,977 listeners in April and growing the pair’s audience month on month and year on year, according to the Australian Podcast Ranker*.

LiSTNR continues its run as the no. 1 sales representation podcast network nationally^, a position it has held 20 out of 22 months since its inception into the Australian Podcast Ranker in July 2022. The LiSTNR sales representative podcast network reached more than 7.29 million monthly listeners^ in April, an increase of more than 172,000 monthly listeners from March’s ranker results. Year on year, LiSTNR’s owned and operated podcast titles grew by 257,000 monthly listeners.

LiSTNR had 19 podcasts in the top 50 of the Top 200 Australian Podcast Ranker* in April, once again more than double that of its closest competitor.

Popular podcasts in the top 20 included Hamish & Andy, which also claimed the number one comedy podcast, Crime Junkie, 7am with Schwartz Media, Happy Hour with Lucky & Nikki, SmartLess, It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield and The Mel Robbins Podcast.

LiSTNR’s owned and operated podcast titles enjoyed strong audience growth in the April Top 200 Australian Podcast Ranker including It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield, The Briefing, Triple M Footy AFL, Darling, Shine!, Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reily and Aunty Donna.

Other titles that moved up the ranker in April included Crime Junkie, The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mr Ballen Podcast, Dan Does Footy, The Mindset Mentor, Pod Save America, Everybody Relax, Luke and Sassy Scott, Footy Talk – Rugby League, Triple M Rocks Footy NRL, Scamfluencers, and Red Hot Pod.

In addition, Betoota Talks and Prosecuting Donald Trump made their return to the top 200 ranker.

“LiSTNR has shown audience growth across its owned and operated podcast slate as well as its partner titles. Hamish & Andy has again taken the number one position and LiSTNR remains the number one sales representation network,” SCA Executive Head LiSTNR Podcasts, Grant Tothill, said.

“To see audience growth of our radio and original podcasts that has materialised into a record revenue month for LiSTNR is an outstanding achievement by everyone, and along with our new LiSTNR AdTech Hub, our sales team continues to offer advertisers more and more reasons to reach different audiences at scale.”

Sources: *Australian Podcast Ranker Top 200 Podcasts – April 2024, ^Australian Podcast Ranker – Top Sales Representatives – April 2024. ^^ LiSTNR owned and operated  published podcast titles.

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

Triple M Albany is launching a new community initiative, ‘Blanket Albany’.

From today, 20 May, Triple M Albany is calling on the local community to provide new blankets to assist the homeless as the cooler winter months set in.

Triple M Albany Breakfast announcer, Atlas Cook, said: “I’m so glad that I can be a part of such an amazing cause in Albany. I hope that everyone can come together as a community and help.”

Following almost a month of blanket collections, Triple M Albany will host a live broadcast on Saturday 15 June at the Town Hall in Albany between 8am – 10am.

All the donated blankets will be displayed at the live broadcast before they are donated to local charities for distribution.

Triple M Southwest is also running an identical initiative called ‘Blanket Bunbury’ which runs until 1 June.

Triple M Albany will be accepting blanket donations until 14 June.

Drop off points for the new blankets are:

• Triple M Albany, 171 Albany Street, Albany
• Harvey Norman, 5 Brooks Garden Blvd, Albany
• The Empty Bobbin, 319-331 Albany Hwy, Albany

LiSTNR today announced a key partner to further accelerate its data cleanroom strategy with DataCo Technologies. The additional data cleanroom solution will allow advertisers to integrate their own databases with LiSTNR’s 1.95 million first party database that ensures both campaign effectiveness and local safety and privacy compliancy.

DataCo Technologies is a leading home-grown, Australian cleanroom solution with access to merchant data from Australia’s leading banks and global financial data providers.

DataCo was developed inside the Business Creation Lab of 1835i, the innovation partner to ANZ Bank, where its platform meets the compliance needs of enterprise collaboration in highly regulated industries but in a way that makes data collaboration accessible to all businesses. DataCo’s aim is to accelerate the safe and responsible use of data between organisations to solve business challenges and fuel innovation.

LiSTNR has chosen to partner with DataCo’s Cleanroom Data Collaboration Platform as it offers bank grade security and privacy protection, without the technical complexity found in many other solutions in the market.  LiSTNR is the only digital audio platform to partner with DataCo and the cleanroom solution is a managed service for brands, rather than self-serve, ensuring that brands get maximum return on marketing investment.

The DataCo cleanroom will enable brands to make use of their own databases in conjunction with LiSTNR’s first party database in a safe and privacy compliant way, which will enable a wealth of consumer insights.

Advertiser data processed through DataCo’s proprietary technology undergoes a one-way transformation that protects personally identifiable information, preventing any exposure outside the respective organisations.

Under the partnership, LiSTNR’s first party data can be dissected at a segment or spending level, such as which content is listened to by people who spend money on grocery products or if consumers are listening to a particular podcast, and what categories of spend they index highest in.

For LiSTNR, the partnership provides a better understanding of the consumers of LiSTNR’s content across the platform as well as their spending habits outside the LiSTNR ecosystem. This will enable LiSTNR to better cross promote content, make in app recommendations to users, and recommend content that brands should include in their media plans to generate the greatest return on investment.

One early adopter and key launch partner is Uber Eats. The technology platform will look to create a rewarding listener experience by offering discounts and promotions to specific audience cohorts.

Uber ANZ Director Local Operations, Beth Pondo, said: “We offer millions of Australians a highly curated experience on our platform, helping them go anywhere and get anything in the very moment they need. Naturally we’re excited to be working with the LiSTNR Cleanroom in the same way – to use technology to provide listeners with more personally relevant offers.”

SCA Executive Head – LiSTNR Commercial, Olly Newton, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce our partnership with DataCo with another cleanroom solution on LiSTNR. Being able to data match is the highest value property that you can buy in digital audio because it enables ad dollars to work harder.

“The combination of first party data from LiSTNR, now enhanced with financial data from DataCo and an advertiser’s own data, means brands benefit from enhanced planning insights, greater campaign performance and optimisation capabilities unrivalled by other Australian audio platforms.

“LiSTNR is the fastest growing player in the fastest growing media sector of digital audio. The delivery of attributable, effective and engaging campaigns without friction makes LiSTNR a must have component of a media mix.”

DataCo CEO, Rami Mukhtar, said: “We’re excited to partner with SCA, Australia’s leading digital audio platform, to drive improved marketing outcomes for several local and global brands. This collaboration underscores our commitment to simple, privacy preserving and secure data solutions which deliver measurable results for our clients.”

The partnership with DataCo follows the launch in April of LiSTNR’s AdTech Hub, an exclusive advertising technology suite of innovations and services. The hub enables increased personalisation and targeting, extensive dynamic creative optimisation, an Australian based customer data platform, ad server and a range of first party data cleanroom solutions and services. The AdTech Hub has driven more than 150 new advertisers to the platform in just the first four weeks of its launch, and across all advertising categories, demonstrating the strong interest in digital audio and LiSTNR in particular.

Ahead of the AFL’s most anticipated match-up, LiSTNR today announced that the Ben and Harry Podcast will be renamed for one exclusive episode: the Ben VS Harry Podcast. This episode, releasing on Tuesday, 4 June, will provide footy fans with an exclusive insight into the brothers’ mindset before they clash in their big game, Carlton v Essendon.

Essendon’s Ben McKay and Carlton’s Harry McKay have built impressive football careers over their nine years in the AFL. Between them, they have amassed more than 200 games, 1,100 marks, thousands of sledges, and one Coleman Medal; a fact Harry never lets Ben forget! For the first time the twin titans and podcasters, Ben and Harry, will face each other in an AFL match.

Whilst the two go head-to-head every week behind the microphone, it’s time for the brothers to finally put their skills to the test on the field. The lead-up to their first footy clash will surely make for an intriguing listen as the twins preview the game.

Essendon defender Ben McKay said: “It’s a big couple of weeks for the Ben and Harry Podcast. We’ve been in the AFL system for more than eight years, so I’m looking forward to crossing paths for the first time on a footy field at the ‘G. This week and next week’s episodes are going to be massive.”

Carlton forward Harry McKay said: “Our battles have taken place in the podcast studio over the past 18 months, where we’ve gone head-to-head each week. So, I’m looking forward to finally taking it out onto the field and letting the footy do the talking!”

LiSTNR’s Michael James said: “The footy gods have finally aligned for the match-up of the century. This episode has been over a year in the making, and I can’t wait for people to hear it before the fellas take the battle from the studio to the MCG.”

For years, rumours have persisted that Ben and Harry are the same person. While LiSTNR can neither confirm nor deny this, there’s only one way to find out. Full coverage of Essendon v Carlton at the MCG will be available on the Triple M Network and LiSTNR from 7:20 pm on Sunday, 10 June.

The highly anticipated episode of the Ben VS Harry Podcast will be available on LiSTNR from Tuesday, 4 June.

9Podcasts has accelerated its growth in March, with the return of footy season driving strong listenership across its slate of premium sport podcasts including Six Tackles with Gus, The Billy Slater Podcast, Eddie and Jimmy, Real Footy, 3AW Football, the Continuous Call Team, Footy Classified, 100% Footy, and Freddy and the Eighth.

Six Tackles with Gus jumped a staggering 77 places in the Australian (Made) Top Podcast Ranker to land at number 93, with over 59,000 listeners, 93,000 downloads and 100,000 video views in March. And flagship AFL podcasts, Real Footy and 3AW Football returned with a bang, ranking at number 122 and 171, respectively.

Video is increasingly becoming the consumption pattern of choice for sports fans, with Eddie and Jimmy reaching a combined 56,000 downloads and video views, and the Billy Slater Podcast reaching a combined 67,000 downloads and video views in March – with more than half of the audience opting for video on 9Now and Youtube.

It’s not just footy exciting fans this year, as the Paris Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2024 are fast approaching. To give listeners an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience of what it is like competing at the highest level on the world stage, The Road to Paris podcast launched in March. The 16-part podcast series features candid conversations with some of our greatest Olympians and Paralympians including Anna Meares, Kieran Perkins, Ellie Cole, Curtis McGrath, Andrew Gaze, and Ariarne Titmus as they discuss their own trials and triumphs, glory and heartache – all in the pursuit of Olympic excellence.

The sporting action doesn’t stop there, with Hamish McLachlan and Ross Stevenson delivering the very best in horse racing news, insight and banter each week in Two Each Way and the Wide World of Sports Updates  keeping listeners informed with a daily roundup of need-to-know sporting news.

MARCH 2024	DOWNLOADS	LISTENERS
Nine Sport Podcasts	585,024	252,516
Nine Podcast Network	3,319,812	1,259,684

Nine’s Head of Podcasts and Digital Content, Mia Stern said: “As we begin the countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the football season gains momentum, so does our connection with the hearts of fans. With each episode, we delve deeper into the drama, the triumphs, and the narratives that define Australian’s passion for sport.

“It’s clear our comprehensive sports content is cutting through with audiences, providing an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers to join the conversation. Brands that align themselves with our passionate listeners tap into a captive audience, where the authenticity of the message merges seamlessly with the passion for the game.”

Source: Australian Podcast Ranker – Top Podcasts Australian Made, March 1-31 2024, Downloads, Listeners. 

Nine’s live and local talk stations posted a significant double digit increase in streaming nationally in April 2024, galvanising Nine Radio as the destination for live audio listeners.  

Year on year data, verified by Triton, shows Nine’s talk stations volume of listening is up 20% nationally, with Sydney’s 2GB up even further with 27% growth, and Melbourne’s 3AW up 18%.

SESSION STARTS	TOTAL LISTENING HOURS
10.1M (up 7% YoY)	10.7M (up 20% YoY)

Nine’s catch up podcasts also reign supreme with on-demand audiences with Ben Fordham Live and the Ray Hadley Morning Show each posting listener growth of 44% YoY, while footy fans are continuing to flock to 3AW for the very best in AFL commentary, with 3AW Football catch up podcasts listeners up 17% YoY.

Nine Radio Head of Content, Greg Byrnes, said “These numbers highlight talk radio’s unequivocal dominance in live streaming and catch up and show our audience is only getting bigger.

“We know Australians turn to talk in times of crisis, and that’s been reinforced with recent breaking news events, but they also rely on us for entertainment, excitement and analysis. And with the footy in full swing and the Paris Olympic Games now just 72 days away, our streaming audience will be unprecedented.”

Nine’s Director of Sales, Total Audio, Ashley Earnshaw, said: “The future is bright for Nine Audio, with even greater audiences seeking out our content through our apps via connected devices and across our podcast content.

“Our dominance in digital audiences continues to create full funnel opportunities for brands to blend the reach of radio with data-led targeting capabilities, creating unparalleled impact and effectiveness for brands.”

Source: Triton Webcast Metrics Streaming, April 1-30 2024, TLH – Total Listening Hours, Nine Radio, Unless otherwise specified