Day: August 8, 2024

The ABC’s Director Audiences Leisa Bacon has announced she is leaving the national broadcaster after a decade leading its core marketing and strategic audience functions.

Leisa has led the ABC’s marketing and audience teams through a period of great change and transformation as the ABC has evolved its digital platforms while remaining committed to delivering high-quality content to the public. Tracking rapidly changing audience trends in today’s fragmented media landscape has required a creative and data-driven marketing leader and Leisa has met these challenges and delivered significant results.

Leisa’s achievements include initiating content collaborations across the ABC, leading the audience launches for the ABC Kids app, ABC listen app, ABC NEWS app, log in to watch on ABC iview and ensuring ABC brands and services have kept pace with the changes in audience expectations.

Leisa has been integral in bringing the Audiences team together into a truly cross-functional team structure, reinforcing a culture of collaboration and prioritisation across both the team and the broader ABC.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said Leisa’s achievements and experience prior to joining the ABC in 2014 meant she has been able to provide a strong understanding of audiences, stakeholder management, marketing, communications, digital, experience design and change management to the organisation.

“Leisa came to the ABC with the task of centralising our marketing and audience requirements to meet changing audience engagement in an increasingly fragmented media market.

“The ABC needed a sharp and dynamic marketing professional to meet these significant changes in the industry and Leisa has always stepped up to the challenge.

“Leisa has developed and led strategies to ensure the ABC remains relevant to audiences everywhere. She is passionate about the ABC and has been committed to making sure Australians have been aware of the contribution we make to the community through the services that entertain, inform and educate.

“Leisa played a key role in managing the ABC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the ABC remained an important and central source of news, information, and entertainment during that challenging time for all Australians.

“I want to thank her for her hard work and many contributions she has made across 10 years in the role. She has been a valuable executive and colleague, and we wish her well for the next stage in an already impressive career.”

Leisa Bacon said: “Since joining the ABC I have always viewed this as the best job in the country. We serve the Australian public, contribute to culture, and literally produce the best content in the country.

“I will always be an incredible supporter of the ABC, my amazing Audiences team and my fabulous boss, David Anderson.

“However, all things need to keep evolving. After an incredible 10 years with the ABC, I am going to be leaving on a bit of a career high. We, the ABC, are #1 in digital news, BVOD, TV network reach and trust.

“For the first time in my career I have long service leave and I plan on using this to take an extended holiday.”

Leisa Bacon joined the ABC as Director of Audience and Marketing in March 2014 after senior roles across the consumer products and health sectors, and arts.

Leisa’s final day at the ABC will be 6 September. Karen Madden will be Acting Director Audiences for the interim while the ABC undertakes a recruitment process.

Sydney’s 104.1 2DayFM today confirmed that the Hughesy, Ed & Erin Breakfast show has ended.

Hughsey, Ed and Erin said: “We’ve loved our time together on 2DayFM Breakfast, however, due to some of our families living in different cities we are unable to commit to 2025, so with a heavy heart we are moving aside so 2DayFM can find the team to take them forward in Breakfast. We are so grateful to Sydney for their support, and to double the number of listeners in three years is something we are immensely proud of, and we will miss each and every one of them.”

SCA thanks Dave Hughes, Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee for their passion and commitment to the 2DayFM Sydney Breakfast show over the past three and a half years.

SCA Chief Content Officer, Dave Cameron, said: “We are incredibly thankful to Hughesy, Ed and Erin for their unwavering dedication in making the 2DayFM Breakfast show a fun way to wake up Sydney each morning since 2020, and we wish them the very best with the continuation of their outstanding careers.

“As we look to 2025, we are preparing for a change for the 2DayFM Sydney Breakfast show and will make further announcements in due course.”

For the remainder of 2024, the Hit Network’s Jimmy Smith and Nath Roye, from The Jimmy & Nath Show on the Hit national Nights shift, will temporarily move into the Breakfast timeslot.

Further details regarding the 2DayFM Sydney Breakfast show for 2025 will be announced at an appropriate time.

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, 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.

Nine’s live audio streaming has witnessed a phenomenal surge in audience numbers during the first week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as fans across the nation tune in to experience the most exhilarating live commentary of Team Australia’s spectacular gold rush.

Since the very first day of competition, session starts across Nine Radio’s digital devices have jumped 48%, with the key hours of 4am-7am showing the most significant uplift. During these early morning hours, Aussie athletes have shone brightly, claiming gold in finals across a range of disciplines.

From the heart-pounding moments in the swimming pool to the adrenaline-fueled triumphs across kayak, canoe, BMX, skateboarding and more, Nine Radio’s expert commentators – led by Ray Hadley, Libby Trickett, Jane Flemming and Mark Levy – have captured every breathtaking second, bringing listeners closer to the action than ever before. With a commitment to delivering the best in live sports coverage, Nine has become the go-to destination for Australians eager to celebrate every medal and every victory.

Total listening hours have increased by 12% since the start of the Olympic Games coverage, as fans tune in to the Breakfast shift (5am-7am) for exclusive insights and analysis of the overnight highlights from our on-the-ground teams. Listeners are then returning from 7pm-11pm to hear Nine’s expert Wide World of Sports team kick off the next day of competition. Both time slots have shown remarkable growth across the network.

Catch-up listenership has also surged, with Nine’s exclusive Olympic podcast, The Olympics Today, seeing a 17% increase in podcast listeners since the start of the competition*.

Nine Radio Head of Content, Greg Byrnes, said: “This remarkable growth in our audience is a testament to the exceptional coverage our team is providing. We are thrilled to be the go-to audio source for Australians seeking in-depth analysis and vivid commentary as our athletes make history in Paris.”

As Team Australia continues to dazzle the world, Nine Radio remains committed to delivering unmatched Olympic coverage, bringing fans closer to the heart of the action.

Tune in each night from 7pm AEST to be part of the excitement with Nine’s live audio coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games across 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR. 

Source: Triton Streaming Metrics, 2 August 2024 vs 27 July 2024, Session Starts, TLH, Nine Radio, Australian only web-traffic, Unless otherwise specified

*Source: Triton Podcast Metrics, 1 March – 26 July, 27 July – 2 August 2024, Nine; The Olympics Today, Listeners.