Compiled by Tess Connery, Anita Anabel and Grace Gollasch
Jan Fran on making a return to LiSTNR’s The Briefing
The Briefing co-host Jan Fran is back in 2023 after more than six months away from the microphone.
After welcoming a baby boy in June 2022, the mother-of-one has returned to co-host Australia’s fastest growing daily news podcast, serving up the latest news headlines.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to Fran about her return to The Briefing, why people keep turning to daily podcasts and what she hopes to do in the future.
“I think that what podcasts offer that other mediums don’t, is choice,” Fran said of the reason audiences are hooked on the medium.
“Choice of timing, choice of tone, choice of presenters, choice of product; and to do it in your own time and your own space, it gives people the ability to curate their own feeds a little bit more.”
For others, it’s “really great for getting the top stories that you need in the morning”, something which she continued to do herself during maternity leave.
“I’m just a bit of a news hound by nature,” she said. “So, whether I’m working or not, I’m following it [the news cycle] and the transition of going back [to work] wasn’t too hard because I had been across the big stories over the Summer.”
Now in its fourth season, The Briefing — which is also hosted by Tom Tilley, Katrina Blowers, Antoinette Lattouf and Jamila Rizvi — is looking to a year of audience growth.
“I would love to have more Briefers listen to the show,” she said. “That’s always been my goal from day one.”
“I’m very happy to say that the show has grown year-on-year so we better not drop the ball this year, because there’s a very clear pattern emerging and I would like for it to continue.”
While gaining listeners through the podcast itself has proven successful, Fran believes that social media is an untapped market for the show.
“I’d like to see us have an even stronger presence on social media, including TikTok,” she said.
“I know a lot of our presenters probably think it’s illegal for anyone over the age of 35, but [it’s important to] grow our presence online as well, because that’s where I think a lot of listeners are. They’re the sort of channels that I think you can get to people through.”
“Changed my life”: Lifeline launches second season of Holding on to Hope podcast
Content Warning: Suicide, sexual assault, disordered eating
Last year in Australia, there were 3,144 deaths by suicide. Each year, Lifeline receives over one million calls from people seeking help in their darkest moments. By sharing real stories of personal crisis and finding a path to connection and hope, Lifeline is working to break down the stigma around suicide and mental health.
To further this mission, Lifeline Australia has officially launched the second season of its Holding On To Hope podcast, and this time the team are working with podcast production agency, Pro Podcast Production.
Looking into how Australians can come together as a community to provide support for themselves and each other, the series aims to kick-off meaningful conversations around mental health over an eight episode series.
This season comes with a permanent host in the form of Ruben McKellar – a Lifeline Crisis Supporter himself – who opens the podcast by speaking about why he got involved with the organisation.
[Listen to Holding On To Hope here]
Audible’s true crime podcast, The Greatest Menace, returns with bonus episode
Audible Australia’s multi-award-winning true crime podcast, The Greatest Menace, which exposed Australia’s ‘gay prison’, will release a bonus episode featuring the incredible untold story of an ex-prisoner seeking criminal expungement after hiding from his past as a ‘fugitive’ for the majority of his adult life.
The Greatest Menace: The Runaway also includes explosive evidence of the entrapment techniques used by police to target gay men, and the shocking experiments that occurred to purportedly “treat” their homosexuality in the 50s and 60s within Cooma prison in NSW.
Following the Audible Original’s release in February 2022, producers Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich received countless messages from listeners moved by the highly emotive and confronting series. They were also contacted by former inmate of Cooma prison, David*.
Speaking about his experience for the first time, ex-prisoner David*, now in his 80s, reveals he never recovered from his sentence in the infamous prison, and, following time behind bars, chose to keep his homosexuality hidden.
After years living like a fugitive before settling in the US with an unjust criminal record weighing on his mind, creators Patrick and Simon embark on a mission to right this wrong.
[Listen to The Greatest Menace here]
World’s biggest festival for the business of podcasting, The Podcast Show, returns for 2023
The Podcast Show, the biggest international festival for the business of podcasting, is back for a second year following 2022’s inaugural show.
Crime Junkie’s Ashley Flowers has been confirmed as the Keynote Speaker for Day 1.
The event is open to industry professionals, independent podcast creators, business leaders, emerging talent and fans alike. The aim is to celebrate podcasting, support new creators, help shape the future of podcasting, and get business done.
The festival will take place across two days at The Business Design Centre in Islington, London on 24 & 25 May 2023, in the heart of the city’s media district.
In May 2022, the show brought together over 9,500 visitors (day and night) from the audio and broadcast industry, from every corner of the globe, to learn, do business and network.
This year, headline partners are Acast and Amazon Music and Wondery. Acast will present a new version of The Creator’s Corner, allowing independent creators and advertisers to take the first steps in podcast advertising and monetisation.
Amazon Music and Wondery will once again present The Amplify Theatre, in association with IAB UK, showcasing everything from global industry players to the industry’s hottest topics.
Audible releases Queer Collection to celebrate WorldPride
With less than 10 days until the first Southern Hemisphere WorldPride, Audible has released a queer collection of almost 100 diverse titles which celebrate the queer experience through history, fiction and culture.
The collection explores a range of perspectives, including trans stories, queer fiction, intersectional identities, and is the perfect place for those wanting to immerse themselves with LGBTQIA+ stories.
Titles include the multi-award-winning true crime Audible Original podcast, The Greatest Menace, Jonathan Van Ness with Over the Top, Hannah Gadsby with Ten Steps to Nanette, M to (WT)F with Samantha Allen, and more.
Topics include queer biography and memoirs, queer history, gender constructs, Trans voices and stories, intersectional identities and more.
[Listen to the Queer Collection here]
Monique Bowley commences new role at the ABC
Monique Bowley has been promoted to podcast manager at ABC Audio Studios.
Prior to this, she had been an executive producer across various podcasts under the broadcaster, including Parental As Anything, Fierce Girls and Days Like These.
She’s spent more than 20 years producing radio both commercially with the ABC, and built the Mamamia Podcast Network; the world’s largest women’s podcasting network.
Bowley developed and executive produced multiple award-winning podcasts; Mamamia Out Loud, No Filter, Fierce Girls, and The Pineapple Project,
Podcast Ranker January 2023: Kyle and Jackie rocket back into top five
The podcast of the KIIS FM Sydney breakfast show has rocketed back into the Podcast Ranker. The Kyle & Jackie O Show was off air in December and subsequently was “languishing” all the way down at #17 in the December 2022 Podcast Ranker.
With the show back on air in January, albeit for only half of the month, it has rocketed back to close to the top of the Ranker at #3.
Topping the chart again are Casefile True Crime at #1 and Mamamia Out Loud at #2.
The only new entry to the Top 10 for January was the SiriusXM podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty which jumped from #19 to #10. Some of Shetty’s January guests included Drew Barrymore, Kevin Hart and Lewis Hamilton.
The biggest mover near the top of the chart was the Hourly News Bulletins from Nine Radio which leapt from #62 to #32.
The highest new entry was from LiSTNR with Darling, Shine! Hitting the Ranker at #35.
[See the podcast ranker results here]
LiSTNR launches new rugby league podcast Footy Talk
LiSTNR continues to strengthen its slate of premium sports podcasts and introduces Footy Talk.
The original podcast is a daily source for all things rugby league – from every tackle to try and everything in between.
Now live on the LiSTNR app, Footy Talk is quickly becoming a hit with fans – from the rooks and the rookie fans. With a fresh episode every day, the podcast delivers the latest news, interviews, expert analysis, along with all the rough and tumble from the world of rugby league.
The Footy Talk team of former and current players, together with the code’s leading journalists, provides unique insights and perspectives on all the games, players, and teams.
Every episode covers the biggest stories, provides game analysis, and serves up in-depth interviews with players, coaches, and other key figures from within the league.
