Abbey Smith has started a new role as a reporter and digital content creator at Channel 10 Adelaide. She shared her excitement with Radio Today, expressing gratitude for the warm welcome from the 10 News First Adelaide team and her eagerness to cover local stories. A former Breakfast newsreader at Nova Adelaide, Abbey was affected by a recent restructuring at NOVA Entertainment.  In addition to her new role, Abbey will continue running her live video guestbook business, Time for Chats, and will take on occasional radio news shifts in 2025.  

The Australian Financial Review is expanding its lifestyle content in 2025 with four key appointments across its glossy titles, Mumbrella reported. Lauren Sams, former fashion editor at the Financial Review, has been named editor of Fin Magazine replacing Matthew Drummond who will continue as editor of AFR Magazine. Sams plans to enhance the magazine with new features on beauty, wellness, and more while continuing coverage of fashion, culture, motoring, watches, and jewellery. Anna McCooe joins as senior travel writer overseeing travel content across the Financial Review’s platforms including afr.com, the daily newspaper, Life & Leisure, AFR Magazine, and Fin Magazine. McCooe was previously deputy editor of Gourmet Traveller and travel editor for Marie Claire. Jessica Beresford has been appointed associate editor of Life & Leisure. She comes from The Financial Times where she was contributing editor and fashion features editor for the luxury glossy HTSI. Maria Shollenb

Award winning journalist Hamish Macdonald will host the Mornings program on 702 ABC Radio Sydney from Monday to Thursday starting January 20, 2025, ABC Sydney announced in a press release.  Additionally, Charlie Pickering will host Thank God It’s Friday! and Chris Bath will take on the Drive role. Other new presenters include Kathryn Robinson, who will host Fridays, Dom Knight who will be on Friday Drive and Saturday Mornings, and Rae Johnston taking on Sunday Mornings. Hamish paid tribute to former host Sarah Macdonald and acknowledged the challenge of filling her shoes. "I'm looking forward to putting my head down, getting to work from Monday and serving the wonderful 702 audience in what will be a huge year of news for Sydney," he said.  New 702 ABC Radio Sydney Manager Katrina Palmer looks forward to building stronger connections with audiences from the station’s new Parramatta location.    

Long-time journalist Chris Griffith is back on the bike and seeking new freelance opportunities after having open heart surgery last September.  “I wanted my life back; that’s the bottom line of it”, Griffith said, “It means a lot for me to have those activities like cycling back and also not have any repercussions and the complications that can be associated with open-heart surgery.” Griffith will also return to tech reporting this year, intending to follow his “natural interests” within the IT landscape. He hopes to take his talents to new publications as well and is keen to get in touch with any prospective mastheads.  “The regulation space is one of those natural interests I’d like to report on. I’ve got things to say,  whether it's about digital ID in Australia or the social media ban on young people under 16,” he said. “I'll also be looking to write about telecommunications. I love where that industry is going. In some ways, it's where a lot of t

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 10 launched a special FM channel of All India Radio, Kumbhvani (103.5 MHz), at Circuit House, Prayagraj.  He also inaugurated the Kumbh Mangal Dhwani on this occasion. The channel aims to connect people across the country with the spiritual essence of this grand event. The re-establishment of Kumbhvani revives its legacy from 2013 and 2019, where it gained immense popularity among listeners. At the occasion, CM Yogi Adityanath expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the minister of Information and Broadcasting            Dr. L. Murugan for their support in launching Kumbhvani. He highlighted that this initiative would allow even those unable to attend in person a chance to take part in the Maha Kumbh. The Kumbhvani channel will air its programs till February 26, operating daily from 5:55 AM to 10:05 PM. Its schedule includes live coverage of significant events such as the main bathing rituals on January

Clarity Communication has won PR mandates for KeenSemi, Bliss Body and Misfits Communications, marking a significant milestone for the growing agency, Influencing India has learned. The mandates span sectors including technology, wellness, and AI-driven innovation, reflecting the agency’s expanding expertise. Sowmya Iyer, Founder and CEO of Clarity Communication, shared her enthusiasm in a media release: “We are proud to partner with KeenSemi, Bliss Body, and Misfits Communications, three dynamic and innovative brands redefining their respective industries.” She added that the agency’s next step involves crafting compelling narratives and executing strategic campaigns to amplify the impact of these brands, whether it’s advancing semiconductor solutions, championing health and sustainability, or driving AI-powered transformation. With its roots in the semiconductor industry, Clarity Communication has steadily expanded into wellness and AI-driven solutions, establishing a

Monique Dews is returning to full-time radio as the Drive newsreader on Brisbane’s 4BC.  Sharing her excitement on LinkedIn, Dews expressed her enthusiasm for diving into local stories as part of the nine.com.au team. With 11 years at ARN, where she presented Breakfast news on KIIS 97.3 and managed five newsrooms nationwide, Dews brings a wealth of experience to her new role.  After a brief stint as Director of Accounts and Strategy at PR firm Adoni Media in 2023, she is now back on the airwaves. “It’s a privilege to join the 4BC team,” Dews said, as she prepares to reconnect with Brisbane listeners through her passion for storytelling and news.