Meet the judges: Part 3

Today, we introduce you to the final group of judges in the 2024 Radio Today Podcast Awards.

Finalists will be announced this Monday, 29th July.

Peter Saxon

In a radio career spanning more than five decades, Peter started on-air at 2XL Cooma, went on to 2KA Katoomba before being hired as retail Sales Manager at 2WS when it launched in 1978 and then went on to become the station’s first Marketing Manager.

Peter was co-founder of the multi-RAWARD/ACRA Award winning syndication company Radiowise. He has been Managing Editor of RadioInfo since 2002 and now fulfils that role for Radio Today, radioinfo.asia and radioinfo.africa as well.

Rick Lenarcic

Rick, an accomplished management professional who now runs his own media consultancy, worked at SCA for 25 years, mostly as head of Regional Media, before being snapped up by Grant Broadcasters as Chief Operating Officer.

Rick later took on the role of Director of Media and Communications with Fortem – a non-profit supporting first responders and their families in mental health and wellbeing.

Sarah  Patterson

In a radio career spanning more than three decades, Sarah – a Melbourne based journalist – was the news presenter for Triple M’s Hot Breakfast with Eddie McGuire and has also been heard across the airwaves of Fox FM, Smooth FM, Nova, Gold 104.3, KIIS, SEN and RSN 927.

A former Bureau Chief at WIN Television and News Director at Air News, Sarah is now a reporter at Radio Today and host of the Food Bytes podcast, heard weekly across the ACE Radio Network.

Shannon Hollis

A media specialist in business development, partnerships and client consultation, Shannon is currently an Audio Council Member at IAB, the peak trade association for online advertising in Australia.

Shannon is the former Head of Commercial Audio at NewsCast and multiple winner of Radio Today’s Podcast Sales Executive of the Year.

Steve Ahern

Steve is CEO of AMT Pty Ltd, publisher RadioInfo and Radio Today and for two years was Manager of ABC Radio Sydney.

Steve is an internationally recognised trainer, digital media industry expert and broadcast management consultant, he is also the author of the textbook Making Radio & Podcasts and the founding editor of radioinfo.

In a media career spanning more than 40 years, Steve has also worked for AFTRS and IMBA, has served on the boards of several media tech start-up companies including Rewind Radio and Branded Podcasts. He  has steered various media and communications companies around the world to commercial success.

Steve was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday honours list for his contribution to media and training.

Valerie Geller

As President of Geller Media International, Valerie works with more than 500 TV/Radio stations throughout the world, training broadcasters and podcasters to create powerful content.

After a radio career as a program director in New York, news director in San Francisco, and executive producer in LA, she turned to training and consulting and hasn’t looked back.

In Australia, she has lectured at AFTRS, presented at CRA’s Radio Alive events and trained presenters and producers at SBS and the ABC. This year she will be a featured speaker at the CBAA Conference on then Gold Coast.

Valerie is a board member of the New York Festivals International Radio Awards and is the author of five how-to books on growing and engaging broadcast and podcast audiences.

Wade Kingsley

Wade is Founder of The Ideas Business, a company designed to create, invest, and develop ideas that help make the world a more creative place.

Currently being heard on the Game Changers Radio: Melbourne Radio Wars podcast, Wade – an AFTRS graduate – was also a keynote speaker at RadioDays Europe earlier this year.

As founder of The Studio at SCA, Wade was previously recruited to develop a new creative services team across Southern Cross Austereo.