SCA Head of News Operations, Natasha Jobson, today announced the appointment of Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) Brian White Scholarship winner Zac De Silva to its Albury newsroom, as it invests in new talent for regional radio newsrooms nationwide.
De Silva received the prestigious Brian White Scholarship in 2020 and completed a paid internship at SCA as part of the award. He is just one of more than five fresh local news talent employed in regional newsrooms, as SCA continues to invest in journalists.
SCA News is committed to giving regional journalists the same opportunities as their metro counterparts to create digital audio content, while also upskilling the team for both radio and the hyper-local News podcast offering on LiSTNR.
Consumption of local news in the on-demand audio space has grown by 329%* year-on-year for SCA with more than 5.8 million news downloads, an average of 116,000+ downloads each week, driven by audience demand who want to know what’s happening in their own backyards.
Jobson said she was immediately impressed with De Silva’s passion for news gathering, and desire to work in the media industry.
“Zac became such a valuable member during his Sydney newsroom internship, and we are thrilled to welcome him to his first news gig in our Albury newsroom,” she said.
“We are dedicated to delivering the best local news nationwide, as the demand for hyper local news continues to grow. We’re responding to that demand by investing in our regional markets and bringing fresh faces to our newsrooms. Many of our new recruits are transitioning from the shrinking print industry, bringing with them a wealth of local knowledge and contacts.
“We know our local markets are important and we are committed to ensuring there is always space for high-quality, local news, created by our journalists who are digital audio savvy, and passionate about their local markets.”
CRA chief executive officer Joan Warner congratulated De Silva on his new role with SCA.
“The Brian White scholarship is about the radio industry investing time in supporting the development of Australian journalism. We’re delighted Zac has been offered the opportunity to start his career with SCA at a time when regional newsrooms are more important than ever.”
*Source: OmnyStudio Analytics, June 2020 -June2021
About SCA (Southern Cross Austereo)
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is one of Australia’s leading media companies reaching more than 95% of the Australian population through its radio, television, and digital assets. Under the Triple M and Hit network brands, SCA owns 99 stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio. SCA provides national sales representation for 23 regional radio stations. SCA broadcasts 94 free to air TV signals across regional Australia, reaching 4.4 million people a week, with 10 Network programming and advertising representation across Australia’s East Coast, Seven Network programming in Tasmania and Darwin, and Seven, Nine and Ten programming in Spencer Gulf. SCA also features Sky News Regional in 17 markets across regional Queensland, southern NSW, and Victoria. SCA operates LiSTNR, Australia’s free, personalized digital audio destination for consumers featuring radio, podcasts, music, and news. SCA provides Australian sales representation for global open audio platform SoundCloud and Sonos Radio. SCA's premium brands are supported by social media, live events and digital platforms that deliver national and local entertainment and news content.