Fridayz Live is back in 2025 with its biggest, boldest, and most dazzling lineup yet. Headlining the nation’s ultimate party is global music icon Mariah Carey, making her long-awaited return to Australian stages for the first time in over a decade. Joining her is none other than Mr. Worldwide himself Pitbull, along with international heavyweights Wiz Khalifa, Lil Jon, Eve, Tinie Tempah, and Jordin Sparks, promising an unforgettable night of iconic hits and high energy.

Once again, The Hit Network and the Mushroom Group have joined forces to deliver the eighth Fridayz Live, touring across Australia this October. With its powerhouse roster and signature party atmosphere, it’s firmly established as the must-see tour of the summer.

The first Fridayz Live in 2016 featured Nelly, TLC and Blu Cantrell, among others, bringing the iconic Hit Network RnB Fridays feature to life in stadiums around Australia. Since then, Fridayz Live has brought some of the world’s biggest stars to Australian audiences, including Janet Jackson, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Craig David, 50 Cent, Salt-n-Pepa and many more. 

On joining Fridayz Live and coming back to Australia, Mariah Carey said: “I missed you terribly, certainly the fans, and the people, the beautiful land and the animals, you know, it’s Australia, c’mon!”

Head of Hit Metro Content, Amanda Lee, said: “It’s fitting that in RnB Fridays 10th year, we’re bringing the biggest RnB superstars, Mariah Carey, Pitbull, Wiz Khalifa and more, to Australia, this is going to be an unforgettable tour. Our partnership with Mushroom Group continues to strengthen and I’m so pleased we get to bring our audiences this amazing lineup and continue to celebrate RnB Fridays.”

Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, said: “Fridayz Live has well and truly made its mark on our live entertainment scene, drawing over six hundred thousand fans across six massive tours, featuring some of the world’s most iconic artists. Throughout the journey we’ve built a long and proud partnership with The Hit Network and we’re thrilled to team up once again as we raise the bar in 2025 with our biggest Fridayz Live line-up yet.”

Fridayz Live tour dates and venues:

Brisbane 

Friday October 17th – Brisbane Showgrounds 

Sydney

Saturday October 18th – ENGIE Stadium

Perth

Friday October 24th – Langley Park

Melbourne

Saturday October 25th – Marvel Stadium

Fridayz Live is back! 7 Global Superstars sharing the stage for 1 night, presales begin from May 26th – general public tickets on sale June 2nd, visit fridayz.live for more.

• Friendly, fast paced environment
• Support our teams as they support community broadcasting in Australia
• Three days per week able to be worked remotely (flexible hours) 

The organisation 

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) is a leading member based, for purpose organisation. We provide programs and services that strengthen over 400 community radio and independent media organisations.

With over five million listeners each week, community radio plays a vital role in providing a voice for multicultural, First Nations and other underrepresented groups, as well as supporting independent and emerging musicians, and communities not adequately serviced by other media services.

Our office is conveniently located close to Redfern Station and Waterloo Metro. 

The role 

Reporting to the Head of Finance, you’ll actively support our Finance Team and provide financial services support activities across CBAA.  You will have the opportunity to use a variety of business systems and processes as we continue our digital transformation. We can offer flexibility around the timing of days worked and spread of hours all of which may be worked remotely.

Responsibilities: 

• Accounts payable, accounts receivable and bank reconciliation 

• Debtors follow up 

• Collation of Excel based revenue schedules 

• Entry of member financial data into Salesforce 

• Assist the Finance Team with more complex accounting tasks 
  

Your success profile will include: 

• Experience in a similar role or in a customer service role 

• Certificate IV in Accounting, Bookkeeping, or Business Administration or higher 

• Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment and to collaborate across departments 

• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills 

• Excellent numeracy and analytical skills 

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 tools (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint and Teams) 

• Experience using Xero or equivalent small business systems 

• Comfortable using and learning new technologies  

• Eligibility to work in Australia on a permanent basis 

• If working hybrid or remote, a fast and stable internet connection 

• Ability to work Sydney office hours 
  

Application Process 

We are committed to improving outcomes for our communities. We value diversity and inclusion.  We actively seek and welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and with lived experience in the communities we  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). 

To apply, submit your resume (max three pages) and a cover letter (max two pages) addressing the requirements and reason for application to the Head of Finance, Community Broadcasting Association at jobs@cbaa.org.au.  Successful applicants will be contacted for interview.

Please note that there is no formal closing date for this role. Early applications are encouraged, and suitable candidates may be shortlisted for interview as applications are received. For enquiries about this role, please email jobs@cbaa.org.au. 

Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has reported total radio revenue of $262.1 million for Q1 2025, up 1.2% year-on-year (YOY), powered by surging digital audio adoption and anchored by the enduring strength of broadcast radio.  

Across the quarter total revenues held firm while digital revenues rose 32.7% from $17.2m in Q1 2024 to $22.9m in Q1 2025. 

For the quarter, metro broadcast radio remained stable overall with a flat year-on-year result of $147 million. Regional broadcast radio revenue saw a slight and isolated 3% dip to $92.2 million, driven by a one-off event – Cyclone Alfred. The cyclone caused short-term disruption to local businesses and trading activity across parts of Queensland and NSW in March, leading to a temporary drop in direct advertising in the affected regions.  

Despite this and other macro-economic conditions, the remainder of H1 is tracking to maintain the industry’s overall position of growth. 

“Our audiences have never been higher, and with advertisers recognising our ability to deliver unrivalled reach, results and relevance we are seeing strong demand across our total addressable market of metro and regional radio, digital streaming and podcasting,” said Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA.  

“The power of audio to get brands heard effectively and efficiently, and it’s flexibility to deliver against a range of different objectives, is powerful and translates directly to real results,” Young added.  

Source: CRA revenue results were compiled by media analytics firm Milton Data. Broadcast revenue includes metro and regional advertising, while digital audio encompasses streaming and podcasting.

The powerful investigative podcast The Ultimate Sacrifice, from 9News Queensland and 9Podcasts, has won the prestigious Gold Award for Best Narrative Documentary Podcast at the internationally recognised New York Festival Radio Awards.

Presented by 9News Queensland’s Melissa Downes, with Jessica Lodge executive producer, sound design and editing by Adam Buncher, technical production by Matt White, and creative direction by Sam Stove, The Ultimate Sacrifice explored the harrowing events of Australia’s first Christian terrorist attack, an ambush that led to the murder of two young police officers and an innocent civilian.

This gripping series delved into the complexities of religious extremism, the trauma of frontline responders, and the evolving investigation, culminating in revelations from a live Coronial Inquest. This made it one of the first Coronial Inquests to be documented and covered in real-time podcast format in Australia.

Following the landmark success of their internationally acclaimed podcast debut Hannah’s Story, The Ultimate Sacrifice podcast marks the second smash hit from Melissa Downes, Jessica Lodge and Adam Buncher.

In a joint statement, Downes and Lodge said: “On behalf of the team, we are incredibly proud and humbled to have had the opportunity to tell this story.

“In a media landscape that often moves quickly and forgets too soon, we poured our time and care into crafting a detailed, emotionally sensitive and comprehensive account. To see this being recognised on a global stage is an incredible honor.”

Managing Director of Nine Radio, Tom Malone said: “This international recognition for The Ultimate Sacrifice is a powerful reminder of how podcasting can bring critical stories to life. Melissa, Jessica and the team have delivered an extraordinary investigation, not only breaking new ground as one of the first podcasts to follow a Coronial Inquest in real-time, but doing so with exceptional care and integrity.

“Once again, the collaboration between 9News and 9Podcasts proves to be a force, combining world-class journalism with the storytelling power of audio to deliver impact that truly resonates.”

Following in the footsteps of Hannah’s Story, which supported Sue & Lloyd Clarke’s campaign for Hannah’s Law and is now being used in domestic violence training programs across the country, The Ultimate Sacrifice continues the team’s mission to share stories that not only inform but create lasting change. The Ultimate Sacrifice soared to the top of the Spotify charts in Australia, holding the #1 spot for over a month, and has 1.6 million downloads and counting.

Nine today announces that Brian Gallagher has been appointed Commercial Director – Audio, leading the organisation’s revamped sales function for Nine Radio as part of a new commercial structure to take place from July 1.

This investment in the sales structure allows Nine to both play to its strengths of scale and reach across platforms, while providing greater capability to unlock more advertising opportunities in what talk radio does best – live, local and deeper brand connections with listeners.

The audio sales teams will form an integral part of Nine’s overall sales approach and the unrivalled commercial offering across Total TV, Total Publishing and Total Audio to ensure clients reach the widest and most diverse audience in Australia.

Nine’s Chief Sales Officer, Matt James said, “This change to our sales structure builds on our capability to deliver campaigns that can suit clients big or small, national or local, to engage and grow connections with our audiences. Whether it be a multi-platform campaign or more local, immediate and radio specific, it’s the best of both worlds for brands.”

Brian Gallagher said, “The market for audio advertising has never been more dynamic, driven by audiences embracing our content across multiple platforms. I look forward to our refreshed commercial approach delivering effective audio advertising to a much broader suite of advertisers.”

Nine Radio’s Managing Director, Tom Malone said, “This is a vote of confidence in the potential growth opportunities that radio presents for Nine. This investment will help drive greater commercial returns from our unique audience offering and enable our teams to elevate our focus on direct sales. Brian is Australia’s leading Radio and Audio sales executive and is the perfect choice to deepen the collaboration of our Sales division alongside our Content and Operations teams.”

Brian has previously held C-Suite roles including Chief Sales Officer at Southern Cross Austereo, Chief Executive Officer at Ignite Media Brands and is the Chairperson of Boomtown.

Ever caught yourself using baby talk with your pet and wondered why? Or curious about why babies babble, or the science and psychology behind swearing?

Host Rune Pedersen, of the award-winning podcast The Idiom, returns with another linguistic series diving headfirst into the intricacies of human communication. How Humans Talk explores how the way we speak shapes our place in the world and why becoming a better communicator starts with becoming a better listener.

“It’s been over a year since I last jumped behind the mic to talk all things linguistics. Fatherhood has shrunk my vocabulary to a handful of daycare-proof words,” says host Rune Pedersen with a wink, “but it’s also inspired me to dive deeper into human communication. As AI begins to automate language itself, it feels more important than ever to explore what makes our conversations unmistakably human. This is my answer to this development.

“In How Humans Talk we’re joined by communication specialists, cultural commentators, and other experts to learn and share how to be a better communicator, whether it’s to your doctor, parents, neighbour or even your furry friends. Together we uncover the subtle ways our words shape identities, relationships, and the world around us.”

Guided by speech pathologist and voice expert Dr Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez, Rune rings in the first episode by exploring the untapped power of the human voice and why it’s often overlooked as a core part of our identity and relationships. Then, Rune chats with Dory Wang who, after being a TV presenter in China, had to start from scratch in Australia, armed with just a handful of vegetable names and some pleasantries. Together, they discuss the emotional and social complexities faced by multilingual speakers – from battling accent biases to rethinking what belonging truly means.

Rune is also on a mission to understand the power and pleasure of profanity* with an explosive episode that reveals swearing is much more than just colourful language. With insight from renowned linguist Professor Kate Burridge from Monash University, the episode examines the psychology and sociology of swearing – breaking down the bad words, from Aussie larrikin slang to ancient blasphemies, and exploring the science behind profanity as pain relief.

How Humans Talk launches today with weekly episodes.

How Humans Talk is a new eight-part podcast series hosted by Rune Pedersen and developed in collaboration with Stefan Delatovic—both part of the team behind the award-winning series The Idiom, which secured Gold in Limited Series & Specials – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the 2023 Signal Awards.SBS is celebrating 50 years of storytelling and delivers podcasts in over 60 languages. Discover more at sbs.com.au/audio

*Warning: episode 2 of How Humans Talk contains profanity.

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.