After a tough few months of stand-downs, redundancies and restructuring, where many radio industry staff in all sectors have lost their jobs, some stations are planning to return salaries to normal as advertising slowly increases and sentiment begins to turn around.

Today the nation's unemployment figures improved, showing some signs of green shoots as Australia begins to regain control on the pandemic.

It’s a massive irony that while radio listener numbers have increased strongly during the pandemic, revenue has fallen off a cliff.

In the June quarter, just gone, revenue for the radio sector was down nationally by a staggering 46.62%, or $99.644 million compared to the same period last year.

SCA has announced that it will introduce statewide breakfast shows across its national Hit Network of regional stations from Monday 24 August, with some announcers losing their jobs.

The Hit Network stations in Western Australia have already successfully adopted this approach with a statewide breakfast show airing weekdays, and now, the rest of the regional network in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia will follow with the exception of Newcastle, the Gold Coast and Hobart stations.

SCA’s diversification with its radio portfolio has helped cushion the affects of COVID-19 on revenue for the full year ending June 20.
 
Revenue for the Group was down by 18.2% to $540.2m on the previous year, while the EBITDA was down by 30.9% to $108.2m.
 
Both SCA’s Audio and Television divisions were down by around 18% overall, and while the metropolitan radio advertising revenue declined by 25.3%, regional radio performed a little better although revenue was still down by 13.1% on 2019.

Over the past few months of lockdown, audiences have been forming new consumption habits.

As advertisers adapt to the changes, a new report from GroupM reminds marketers and advertisers to remember brand safety.

We examine the report and also talk to SCA CEO Grant Blackley about brand safety.

A brand safe environment is "critical for all advertisers," according to Blackley.

America's PodcastOne has been acquired by LiveXLive in a deal worth US$18.1 million.

This week several radio industry leaders have given updates on how their companies are going during the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve Ahern examines the evolving business situation.

Southern Cross Media has successfully completed its equity raising, giving it an expanded war chest of $169 million to see it through the Corona virus crisis.

In an announcement to the stock exchange today, SCA said it used the 'class waiver' that has been made available during the pandemic to allow companie to move quickly on extra share placements.

Southern Cross Media has dispatched a retail offer to eligible shareholders inviting them to participate in a share entitlement offer for fully paid ordinary shares in the company.

The offer is 1.75 for 1 pro rata accelerated non renounceable fully paid shares, at an offer price of 9 cents per share. It closes on Monday 27 April.

As SCA takes control of the Spirit Network in Western Australia, there is one station still left with an uncertain future, Spirit FM in Bunbury, previously known as 6EL on AM 621.