Southern Cross Austereo is in the process of issuing redundancy notices to somewhere between 50 and 100 staff this week, as it faces tough trading conditions.

Some radio staff have already received notices, while management is still in negotiations with others.

Some functions, such as Content Directing and Music Directing in the Radio part of the business, are expected to be combined across stations and/or networks.

Last week we brought you the news that SCA's Adelaide stations were trialing a new system which allowed the local breakfast hosts to be heard across all the network's DAB+ stations, as well as on the main FM station in the market.

SCA has begun an experiment in Adelaide that puts its live local breakfast show on each of its DAB+ stations in that city.

As of this morning, Hit 107 breakfast hosts Bec and Cosi are now being heard on all of Adelaide’s Hit Network DAB+ stations, using playout technology to sync the talk breaks with the different playlists of each station.

The Hit DAB+ stations previously carried automated music.

The first morning apparently went off without a hitch.

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has appointed 20 internal “innovation champions” to lead its The Lab project, calling on its people to act as ‘torchbearers’ for the new initiative.

Southern Cross Media is seeking opportunities to grow its regional broadcasting footprint, but wants changes to legislation to allow its regional media businesses to compete against digital platforms. 
 
Southern Cross Austereo delivered "a credible result" in the 2019 financial year, as we reported in August.

Similar to the age old question of what came first the chicken or the egg, when we think of podcasting, we can ask the same question – what came first, the content or the revenue? 
 
Chaired by Jamie Chaux from Commercial Radio Australia, four speakers start discussing how people are using podcasts and how advertisers are integrating into on-demand audio.
 
“It was 12 months ago when we talked about podcasting on this stage.  So what has changed in the last 12 months,” begins Chaux.
 

An article published in today’s Australian Financial Review is “completely inaccurate” according to SCA’s Grant Blackley.
 
The article comments on Southern Cross Media’s half yearly report, criticising a graph showing comparative total metro network listening across the various commercial networks.
 

Southern Cross Media Group revenue has grown by 6.7% in the first half of this financial year.

Radio revenue growth and strong cost control resulted in earnings (EBITDA) of $82 million for the first half.

Net Profit (NPAT) grew 10.6% to $42.2 million, in results announced this morning.

Group revenue was up 0.2% to $335.7 million and debt has been significantly reduced.

The company's audio segment (metro & regional radio and podcasting) delivered a 3.7% growth in revenue and over 7.3% profit growth

Southern Cross Austereo today announced the results of its 24th annual Give Me 5 for Kids fundraiser, this year raising a record-breaking $3,625,037.