What's New
BY Sarah Patterson April 23, 2024
What's New March 28, 2022
The Edge96.ONE rebrands to CADA
Times are changing as ARN’s The Edge rebrands to CADA, Australia’s new home of Hip Hop and R&B.
From 4 pm 31 March, The Edge will expand its current model as a Western Sydney FM broadcaster, to its new national platform, CADA – available on FM in Western Sydney and Katoomba, DAB+ in every capital city, and nationally via iHeartRadio.
CADA will bring Australians closer to culture by serving up inclusive, exclusive, and up-to-date Hip Hop and R&B content across multiple touchpoints, including audio, web and social.
The multi-platform approach opens CADA’s audience up to non-traditional radio advertisers.
“We identified a rare opportunity to reimagine The Edge as a multi-platform youth brand, anchored in Hip Hop and R&B and driven by content. While The Edge has always been a big supporter of these genres of music, the launch of CADA marks a milestone moment for artists and fans – a home for Hip Hop and R&B in Australia, and a local, mainstream audio platform dedicated to it,” said ARN, CADA General Manager Emily Copeland.
“The CADA-verse will provide an opportunity for brands and creative organisations to engage with youth audiences at scale, and with authenticity. We are a platform where community passion meets commercial polish, and we have a depth of talent who hold authority and credibility in music and youth culture. Our multi-platform approach provides a range of discovery points for our audience, and allows brands to engage through mutually beneficial integrated partnerships that go beyond audio.”
CADA’s line-up of hosts and creators each bring something unique to the table.
Hosts include DJ & media personality Flex Mami (Lillian Ahenkan) and comedian & content creator Froomes (Lucinda Price), TikTok creator Avneesha, ARIA nominated artist B Wise, and many more. They’re backed by a new advertising campaign that is expected to turn heads.
CADA’s launch campaign, which will go live on 4 April, features CADA’s team of hosts and creators, as well as some of Hip Hop and R&B’s biggest names. From homegrown stars The Kid LAROI, Tkay Maidza, Youngn Lipz, A.GIRL and Becca Hatch to Cardi B, Lizzo, SZA, Bruno Mars and Khalid, the campaign highlights CADA’s considerable clout in the space, as well as their commitment to championing artists and their voices.
As well as launching its talent line-up, CADA has also announced its leadership team. CADA’s General Manager, Emily Copeland welcomed new hires Kat Tamayo as Head of Marketing and Sean Vandenberg as Head of Production alongside Marty Doyle as Head of Content and Andy Walsh as Head of Commercial Strategy.
ARN, CADA Head of Marketing Kat Tamayo said: “R&B and Hip Hop is culture in and of itself, an ever-present expression of the times. CADA is not about putting songs on the radio; it’s about celebrating artists and helping our audience escape the noise and focus on what’s relevant in music and the global lifestyle they are a part of.
CADA’s content is anchored in audio but will span beyond that into video, social and experiential, providing us with a greater sphere of influence and a range of opportunities that drive engagement and cut through for brand partners. There are many exciting things on the horizon, and we can’t wait to bring our listeners, community and partners along for the ride.”
Shows:
- Kian & Yaz, Breakfast 6-9am, weekdays
- K-Sera & The Dirty Dozen, Lunch 11.30am-1pm, weekdays and Mondays 6-8pm
- The Hype with Helena Ellis, Weekdays 1-3pm
- Keeping Up with Avneesha, 3-5pm, weekdays
- Flex & Froomes, 5-6pm, weekdays
- B Wise By Your Side, Tuesdays 6-8pm
- PENG with Soju Gang & Dijok Mai, Thursdays 6-8pm
- Welcome to The Area with DJ Ziggy, Fridays 6-8pm
- Throw It Back with DJ Klasik, Wednesdays 6-8pm
- The Sleep In with Marty & Nat, Weekends 11am-2pm
- Double Dip with Andrew Levins
Notice that the schedule is not totally formatted to typical commercial radio format timeslots. The shorter and weekly specialist shows will allow for a presence on podcasts and social media.
There are multiple points to engage and take part in the ‘CADA-verse,’ from the free iHeartRadio App, FM in Western Sydney, and DAB+ nationally, to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and cada.com.au.
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What's New
BY Sarah Patterson April 23, 2024
That’s the worst name ever…
Look at the pic – all these young peeps being employed after such an awful time.
Congrats on ARN for the initiative & giving this a go.
This market has been under-serviced & ignored for decades, credit for a major player for trying something totally out of left field.
‘The Hype’ is already a show running on regional ARN stations amongst others on a Saturday Night. It’s a dance show. I wonder if this will be an issue, has it been over looked, or?
My first reaction to this was..”dumb” .. Probably based off the name which I do still think is dumb.. BUT after having a good think about this across the day, I think like the idea. I actually think there is a giant hole for that market and Triple J is a little to try hard. Hip Hop/Rnb and Dance is HUGE. Mix that with the shows, the social media and podcasts and there are quite a few revenue streams coming in.
Lets be honest, as “The Edge” and with the former breaky show that was never going to do anything, it would have just sat there wasting away a good opportunity for the youth.
This is bold, BUT is this the road 2DayFM should have went down? Start from the ground floor and then age the station slightly over the next 10/15 years as their listeners grow with them…
So great to see someone taking some risks rather than sticking to formulaic cookie cutter safe radio. Young people have been forgotten by everyone who isn’t Triple J so is a wide-open market as there are no commercial players in the radio space. Excited to see how this goes.
Appreciate this site keeping us informed, but this story is basically ARN’s media release. There’s so many unanswered questions – like what does the name actually mean/is it just cool sounding?
Personally, I’m not sure this sort of music 24/7 is that appealing to mainstream “youth” who like a mix of different genres. It’s pretty niche, and doesn’t really serve the licence area well in my view (would it stack up if it wasn’t seeking a national audience?) Interesting that ARN need to sell 4KQ because they will own a Sunshine Coast (not Brisbane) station (as Nova did before them) but they have long been able to keep a Western Sydney one as well as their two Sydney metro ones. Never understood how that worked.
@Did 2Day miss the boat
Unfortunately yes, they should stick to hits and oldskool format with more rnb, hip hop, dance focus. Now they tray to take some % from Smooth targeting much more older audience…
Good move. My local barbershop dudes in Ballina NSW stream a similar Kiwi station and it’s pretty cool, even for an old WASP like me. Guessing that’s why I don’t get the name. Yet
I understand the need for a name change before they go national via DAB+ and iHeartRadio because Hobart already has a long established youth station called, Edge Radio.
I was hoping The Hype hosted by DJ Scudda and Ed Colman would be picked up by the KIIS Network, but that new weekday program suggests otherwise.
@Radio worker – you basically posted what I wanted to say; I too have never understood how ARN are allowed to hold on to three FM licences with such significant area overlap in Greater Sydney, when they (and others) cannot do the same in other large markets like SE Qld or Melbourne/Geelong – can someone please explain!?
Also, aren’t there any FM licence requirements on 96.1 for localism? How does having a format with a single rota of shows airing to a national ‘CADA-verse’ audience meet that?
@Did 2Day miss the boat/Hkn – agreed, they totally missed the boat. How SCA can still use the 2Day brand for a station that has a (mediocre) playlist firmly set to yesterday’s music just baffles me.
Who’s going to tell them that youth don’t actually think radio is cool? Radio is what their parents listen to.
I mean good on them for trying something different, but I hope they have a bigger online and on demand strategy and have actually employed people in the key decision making positions that genuinely fit the demographic and understand not just what youth are listening to, but the why behind it.
Signed, someone who teaches youth.
Apologies in advance for a complicated answer to Radio Worker & PJC’s questions above.
The Sunshine Coast (Nambour) commercial & community FM stations broadcast from Bald Knob near Maleny. Geographically this site is on the southern end of the Sunshine Coast – basically in a straight line west of Caloundra on a map. Contrast it to say Noosa which is the northern end of the Coast. That means these Bald Knob broadcasts make it into Brisbane clearly, hence there is overlap from the Sunshine Coast market into Brisbane.
My understanding is that this is the reason that why SCA was forced to sell their Mix/Sea duo a few years back to the EON radio company (with part shareholding held by the late Glenn Wheatley IIRC). Currently Mix/Sea is owned by another private company with ex SCA executives. They are doing a fine job too with their localized programming & minimal networking, similar to Hot Tomato on the Gold Coast.
But with ARN taking over Grant stations more recently, now it’s Grant’s Hot 91.1 that has an overlap into Brisbane. Hence ARN has to sell 4KQ because of the same mess with the overlap.
More proof that license areas are a real legislative mess; Noosa / Gympie & Gold Coast / Tweed is another complication.
Anyway back on topic: CADA’s launch deserves every success in the world, it’s good to finally see certainly this niche targeted.
@brisbanelion I also recall vaguely that Hot 91 was a DMG station but they had to sell it because of their 50% interest in Nova/97.3.
What strikes as odd with The Edge Is that they appear like a Sydney station and I understand broadcast from North Ryde in the Sydney suburbs (though I guess their transmitter at least is in the licence area). Hot 91 is clearly not a Brisbane station.
All the comments in the other posts about “this will take share off Nova” seem to support the Sydney idea when they’re really competing against 2LT and MoveFm.
How are they being sold to advertisers I wonder? Presumably they won’t claim to have Sydney listeners given they’re not in the Sydney ratings? Or will advertisers flock to them on the promise of wider streaming youth audiences. Will it be more expensive to advertise a Katoomba car yard or restaurant on the “local” station?