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SCA appoints Melanie Withnall to new head of news & information role

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has created a newly created position within its news team, naming Melanie Withnall as its head of news and information.

Withnall was most recently the manager of ABC Radio Sydney, and brings more than 18 years of experience in radio news.

In her new role, she’ll lead the overall broadcast and on-demand news function. Withnall will also work on growth strategy to expand SCA’s news, information and current affairs content portfolio on digital platform LiSTNR, and across the Hit and Triple M networks.

SCA chief content officer, Dave Cameron, said: “It’s a real coup to have someone with Melanie’s experience join SCA at such an exciting time in our rapid digital audio growth.

“Melanie’s proven leadership in the recent success of ABC Radio Sydney will be hugely valuable in driving SCA’s news and information content expansion on LiSTNR, which already includes The Briefing, Australia Today with Steve Price, Australia Today’s Morning Agenda with Natarsha Belling, and multi-market Locals’ Guides on top of our 99 radio stations.

“We are very excited to have Melanie join SCA and help cement our position as Australia’s biggest audio content creator.”

Witihnall also led the migration of ABC Radio Sydney to digital platforms, led emergency broadcasting and helped take ABC Radio Sydney to become the #2 radio station in the market.

She started her career as an executive producer at 2UE and 2GB, before first joining the ABC as mornings EP. Withnall also had a stint as managing director and CEO at Sydney Educational Broadcasting (2SER 107.3), and is also a board member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia and has been a lecturer at UTS and AFTRS.

Commenting on her new role, Withnall said: “I am really excited to be joining SCA at such an exciting time, with news and information more important than ever and an important pillar on Hit, Triple M and LiSTNR. I look forward to finding SCA’s unique voice in the market and working with such a great team. ”

Commenting on Withnall’s departure from the ABC, director of ABC regional & local, Judith Whelan, said: “We’re sad to be losing such an outstanding manager as Melanie. She has been an exceptional leader of an exceptionally high-performing team at ABC Radio Sydney, helping see the station to record audience numbers.

“We’ll miss her editorial experience and ability to connect with diverse audiences across Sydney, and across all broadcast platforms. We wish her the very best in her new role at Southern Cross Austereo.”

Withnall starts on 15 November, and will also join the SCA content leadership team along with the recent hire of Cathrine McVeigh as head of audio production and operations.

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