Radioinfo Podcast

At today's National Press Clus address in Canberra, ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks focused on the "value and impact" of the national broadcaster and its importance for "a cohesive nation""We cannot take this Australia of ours for granted. We must continue investing in our Australian stories, in our Australian voices, in Australian creativity," he said.He looked beyond the ratings numbers to articulate the impact of radio across all its platforms

Fifty years ago today the Whitlam Labor government was dismissed by the Governor General John Kerr for its inability to pass the federal budget and guarantee supply. It is one fo the few reasons an Australian government can be dismissed from government by the monarch’s representative, the Governor General.Leigh Hatcher was a reporter for the Macquarie Radio Network that day. Radio was the first medium to break the news of the dismissal to the public after months of coverage of the Liberal dominated Senate not passing the budget bills and precipitating the ‘supply’ constitutional crisis.Leigh tells radioinfo’s Steve Ahern how it all unfolded on the day from the moment his cadet burst through the door of his small radio press gallery office shouting ‘Gough sacked!”Read more www.radioinfo.com.au

At the ARN upfronts a lot of the new initiatives announced depend on next level of sophistication of digital and advertising technology. ARN's Director of Digital Strategy, Data & Digital Ventures Ben Campbell talks to Steve Ahern to explain the Ad Tech behind the new initiatives.

In this radioinfo podcast Steve Ahern talk to the chief audience and content officer of the Australian Radio Network Lauren Joyce, about the ARN Upfronts. Lauren talks about the network and presenter changes ARN has put in place for 2026. Christian O’Connell is going national but Kyle and Jackie are not.The strategy to put Kyle and Jackie on DAB in Perth and whether that will change over time.Smallzy joins the KIIS network

In this radioinfo podcast Steve Ahern talks to the new CEO of the Australian Radio Network, Michael Stephenson, about the ARN Upfronts. Michael talks about the partnenships ARN has put in place with Spotify, Youtube and others for advertising, creating local Australian content on the global iHeart platform, the ARN share price and how he plans to build on the heritage left by former CEO Ciaran Davis. 

As podcasters all over Asia are scurrying to get their entries in for the 2025 Asia Podcast Awards before they close on 4th July, radioinfo's Steve Ahern got some tips on changing consumption trends in podcasting, the best approach to starting and promoting your new podcast and the business model that iHeart Australia is using for its podcast slate from Corey Layton, iHeart Australia’s Head of Digital.

Dielectric offers broadcast systems designed and manufactured under one roof, including all components from transmitter output to tower top. With roots dating back to 1942, Dielectric helped pioneer the broadcast age, and the company’s drive to innovate has never waned. Dielectric has earned a reputation for offering the world’s most sophisticated antenna and signal-transmission solutions, and an ability to meet the needs of all broadcasters: TV, HD and FM, low and high power.Dielectric President and CEO Keith Pelletier told radioinfo’s Steve Ahern at the 2025 NABShow about the quick deployment of equipment in disaster-prone areas, enabling broadcasters to maintain their signals during emergencies.They also discussed exciting innovations in their product line aimed at enhancing FM transmission systems, focusing on the new Ringmaster Antenna system and groundbreaking new manifold combiners for radio broadcast transmission.Dielectric is accelerating its R&D processes, ultimately benefiting customers through economical and high-performance solutions and improved sustainability methods, as you will find out in this radioinfo podcast.More information:https://www.dielectric.comhttps://radioinfo.asia/news/reduced-wind-resistance-and-decreased-tower-weight-in-new-dielectric-transmission-technology-nabshow-2025/  

Steve Ahern and four other CEOs from European radio companies talk about the things that excite them and the challenges they face in this #RDE25 RadioDays top level session titled 'What Keeps CEOs up at Night.' Konstantinos Fotopoulos, the CEO of Audiomax in Greece, top issues: Developing new radio shows – exciting Financial problems – find money, avoid pay cuts How to manage strong personalities – relationships How to face the competition – finding creative solutions Reporting to shareholders Baiba Zuzena, Chair of Latvia’s public broadcaster The role of radio in the future digital media ecosystem – identify strengths, maximize impact Visual radio – genre fusion or threat Developing new local music stars via radio Sustaining youth engagement with content in native language Stable long term funding for public service broadcasters Attracting and retaining young talent Vivian Mohr, President of Audio at Bauer Media UK The product proposition for audio in the AI world Advocating for audio to commercial partners and agencies – a generational change in buyers How to maximize inventory Evolving measurement in relevant yet responsible ways The role of media in preserving transparency and democratic values Charles-Emmanuel Bon, Secretary General of Radio France The relevance of radio today in the face of converged audio and video platformsThe impact of podcasters on election campaigns How to keep audio and radio attractive to the audience Challenges of social media – algorithms and editorial control The importance of public service media to democracy Steve grouped them all into 6 main themes: The role of radio in the modern media and AI world Money – ad revenue, public funding Supporting culture, society, democracy, local language, local music Talent – finding talent that appeal to young audiences, maximizing performance Growing and attracting new audiences/ audience segments Competition from Social Media and Search Read more at: https://radioinfo.com.au/conference/what-keeps-radio-ceos-up-at-night-rde25

Steve Ahern caught up with Aussie Fyona Smith, who is now in based in Dublin as Managing Editor for Bauer Media's Today FM.Fyona previously worked in sales, as an announcer at SCA and ARN, a music director and Head of Radio at AFTRS. She left Sydney to work in Ireland about 5 years ago."One of the things that's different about the Irish audience is their absolute love of radio, it's still at pre-internet levels. Spoken word content and the connection to radio is really embedded in culture here, that hasn't been disrupted by all of the streaming choices or all of the entertainment choices that we've got with multiple devices now. That really fascinates me.Listen to the full interview between Steve Ahern and Fyona over a pint of Guiness in a Dublin pub.