Southern Cross Austereo

In the latest Mi3 podcast episode, Chief Content Officer, Dave Cameron talks to the importance of fresh local talent and his excitement about the brand new shows that have landed across the network this year. He also speaks to the increased opportunities available for brands including highly-targeted campaigns using our AdTech Hub technology and brand integration. Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gd85V5ad #podcast #audio #radio

Turns out, if you ‘just let them’, hundreds of thousands of Australians listen. The January Australian Podcast Ranker has a new #1 podcast in the country - The Mel Robbins Podcast. Meanwhile LiSTNR regains its spot as Australia’s #1 Sales Representation Podcast Network, now reaching 6,630,663 monthly listeners. From local favourites like Hamish & Andy, It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield, The Howie Games and LiSTNR's newest signing The Imperfects to US hits like The Mel Robbins Podcast, LiSTNR continues to pioneer Australian podcasting and audience commercialisation - delivering premium content at scale. With podcasts audiences continuing to grow across LiSTNR, 2025 is shaping up to be another massive year for Australia’s fastest-growing podcast network.

SCA announced the promotion of Carla Mathisen to Head of Sales Brisbane. Mathisen will oversee the strategic direction and growth of SCA’s sales teams in Brisbane, driving revenue and fostering relationships with clients and agencies. She will play a key role in solidifying SCA’s position in Brisbane as a market leader in the audio and media industry. Having spent a decade at SCA, Mathisen’s career trajectory has seen her rise through the ranks from Account Manager to Group Sales, and most recently to Head of Agency Sales in 2023. Mathisen steps into the role held by Hamish Rose, who has spent 13 years with SCA including the last five years as Head of Sales in Brisbane. Rose has made the decision to embark on a new path, to become a valued SCA client, joining McDonald’s as a future licensee. Carla Mathisen said, “I am both excited and humbled to take on this role as the next step in my career with SCA. The Brisbane market - clients, agencies and colleagues - are what make it such a rewarding and collaborative industry. I’m very grateful to Hamish, for his mentorship and guidance. As I embark on this new chapter, I’m filled with a sense of pride and responsibility to make a meaningful impact, and I look forward to sharing my passion and energy with the team to drive continued success and growth. Luke Minto, SCA’s National Head of Audio Sales said, “Brisbane SCA is an audio powerhouse and a market leader for audience ratings and revenues. With Carla stepping in as Head of Sales, we are fortunate to have a well-respected and strong people leader who will continue to drive growth for our clients alongside our talented sales teams."   Read more: https://lnkd.in/ga-_tzSy

Yesterday afternoon, Commercial Radio & Audio's highly anticipated annual industry showcase, HEARD, took place at Sydney’s ICC to over 1000 attendees. The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, highlighting the key role audio plays in a media plan to achieve maximum impact, the art of creating effective audio campaigns and radio’s ability to drive long-term brand growth. Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott, hosts of the Hit Network’s Saturday night show and LiSTNR’s The Happy Hour podcast took centre stage for the ‘Audio: The Original Influencer’ panel. Joined by other industry powerhouses Russel Howcroft, Chrissie Swan and Ben Fordham, they discussed the deep connection and trust they’ve built with their loyal listeners and the importance of authenticity when partnering with brands. To find out more about advertising with us, get in touch with your SCA Sales Rep or via this link: https://lnkd.in/gNrrDMfg. #HEARD #digitalaudio

One of Australia’s most popular podcasts, The Imperfects, is back for Season 7, with new episodes dropping every Monday via its new home, LiSTNR. Season 7 of The Imperfects will kick off with legendary Australian surfer, Mick Fanning, sitting down to chat vulnerably about mental health, loss, grief, connection and resilience with hosts Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton and Josh van Cuylenburg. Podcast Co-Host, Hugh van Cuylenburg, said: “The podcast is now in its seventh season, and in that time I hope we've become more professional – not less imperfect, but more professional. When we did our first-ever episode with Missy Higgins, I asked everyone to sit outside the room so no one could hear, I was that self conscious. Now I allow other people to be in the room. Talk about growth!” Podcast Co-Host, Josh van Cuylenburg, said: “To me the podcast is a place for vulnerable, funny, curious conversations with incredible people. A place where the guests, us, and the listeners are connected by our common flaws and imperfections and we cannot wait to continue this journey with LiSTNR.” Co-Host, Ryan Shelton, added: “Ironically, we think LiSTNR is going to help us become less imperfect – but don’t worry, even with their incredible team supporting us, we will do everything in our power to keep the imperfection flourishing.” Executive Producer and Creative Partner, Bridget Northeast said: “As the fourth ‘imperfect’ wheel of this podcast, and the person who drives the show behind the scenes, joining LiSTNR feels like rocking up to the Ferrari pit crew in a Holden Barina and the four of us are absolutely stoked to be here.” The Imperfects has found a new home at LiSTNR, the partnership will combine the podcast’s thought provoking content with LiSTNR’s sales expertise, growing digital platform and advanced AdTech Hub capabilities. The popular podcast joins LiSTNR’s diverse lineup of high-quality podcasts including Hamish & Andy, The Howie Games, The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show, The Briefing, It's A Lot With Abbie Chatfield, and Matt & Alex All Day Breakfast. Read further: https://lnkd.in/gCXTxKxp

What does it take to become one of the AFL’s most enduring and respected players in one of the world’s most physically demanding sports? Australia’s #1 sport podcast, LiSTNR’s The Howie Games, gives fans an exclusive, behind the scenes look with Collingwood Football Club legend Scott Pendlebury, in an innovative eight-part series, Pendlebury: Beyond 400. Experience a new kind of football storytelling with The Howie Games. The first episode of ‘Pendlebury: Beyond 400′ is available now on LiSTNR. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbQPGhY6

SCA has bolstered its commercial team with key strategic appointments in Melbourne, with Bec Ellem appointed as Head of Direct Sales and Christine Lester taking on the role of Head of Independent Agencies. To meet the growing demand and needs of clients and agencies, SCA Melbourne is refining its commercial structure into three distinct teams - Agency, Indie Agency and Direct. Ellem will lead the newly established Direct Sales team, driving the development and execution of targeted direct sales strategies to further support Melbourne’s expanding market. In addition, Christine Lester will step into the role of Head of Independent Agency, leading a dedicated team to drive growth for SCA in the Indie market. Rebecca Ellem said of her appointment: “I’m excited to lead the dedicated direct sales team, bringing a strategic and hands-on approach to capitalise on the strength of the SCA product suite while delivering  market leading solutions for our new and existing customers. Christine Lester said: “The Indie market in Melbourne continues to be a dynamic landscape with a lot of potential growth, with SCA’s expanding capabilities I am passionate about continuing to work with existing clients and inspiring new clients to leverage the power of audio.” Victoria Young (nee Toovey), SCA Head of Radio Sales said: “There is significant opportunity in Melbourne’s  Independent Agency and Direct market, and I’m thrilled that SCA is investing in key leadership roles to drive our growth. We’re excited to welcome Bec Ellem to SCA - her extensive knowledge in the audio market will be an invaluable asset to the team. Christine has been a key leader in our business for over seven years, and I’m confident that her continued guidance of Indies, combined with Bec’s fresh perspective and leadership, will position us for strong results for our clients and business.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gPf7Vct4

Less than a week to go! 🎧 Hear from audio influencers and tap into the latest insights that will drive your brand’s success in sound. When:  Tuesday, 11 February 2025 Where: Pyrmont Theatre, ICC Sydney Time: Arrival 1:30pm for 2:00pm | Networking drinks from 4:15pm Register your interest here: https://lnkd.in/ga-tdm_A For outside of Sydney, register for live stream here: https://lnkd.in/g-8xqG63 #HEARD2025

The popular LiSTNR podcast A Life of Greatness with Sarah Grynberg returns for its highly anticipated ninth season. 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.” ” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gMhqc8sN

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? 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. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmESUc6D