From today, 2 September through until Friday 14 September, AFTRS FM will tackle the issues that impact students – like cost-of-living, social media, pop culture, and more.
Following the 30th year of Show Radio in April, and regional broadcast 2NRS in June, AFTRS FM will see students produce and package a daily 30-minute factual talk broadcast, with support from guest air checkers, mentors and coaches from across the industry including Greg Byrnes from 9 Entertainment, Fiona Ellis Jones and Naomi Lynch from ARN and Rob Mailer and Jodie Gunders from the ABC.
AFTRS FM will stream live on iHeart weekdays from 3pm, and appear as an on-demand podcast, with ‘best ofs’ airing Saturday 7 and 15 September from 7am to 7:30am.
Students will also publish stories online and across social media channels.
Digital radio station iHeartAustralia will continue to hero 100% Australian music and feature local artist interviews, as well as sharing daily news on all the 2024 ARIA Music Awards nominees.
This Thursday, following the ARIAs, iHeartAustralia will celebrate the winners all day from 9am and broadcast an ARIA Hall of Fame special with Missy Higgins at 12pm.
Special guests ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd and artist Ben Lee will also be featured.
Are under 30s listening to DAB?
Not many
ARN used this morning’s half-year results to reveal an upcoming major update for iHeart. From B&T’s report:
At present, 42 per cent of ARN’s audience is on digital platforms. However, only 10 per cent of its revenue is in digital. Rather than a mis-matched appropriation of advertising dollars, (CEO Ciaran) Davis and (chief financial officer Alexis) Poole believed this offers ARN a significant opportunity for growth.
To this end, Davis said it would be announcing a “significant iHeart product update in October” as well as the roll-out of new data and adtech capabilities and the launch of new commercial and digital products.
ARN 2026 upfronts
A new iHeart app: nostalgia meets next-gen
The centrepiece of the 2026 Upfronts was the launch of the next-generation iHeartRadio app, its biggest update since its Australian debut.
Inspired by the nostalgia of the car radio, the redesigned app merges the tactile simplicity of traditional radio with the convenience of modern streaming.
Newly appointed Chief Digital and Technology Officer Ben Campbell said focus group participants “kept coming back to the ease of presets and one-button access, and to scanning through stations to hear what’s playing before you land on what you want.”
New features include custom Presets (up to 15 stations, playlists, or podcasts), a Scan Button offering 15-second previews of live stations, and a Live Radio Dial for real-time browsing across Australia.
ARN Launches the Next-Generation iHeartRadio App for Australian Listeners
ARN has launched the next-generation iHeartRadio app into Australia, bringing industry-first mobile features and access to content FREE to local listeners.
The redesigned app – iHeart Australia’s most significant product update since its launch – blends the simplicity of the traditional car radio experience with the full capabilities of mobile streaming, reflecting the needs and preferences of today’s modern audio audience.
The updated iHeart Australia app combines the familiar features listeners love with innovative digital enhancements, including:
- Presets – in an Australian first and drawing inspiration directly from the car dashboard, custom presets allow listeners to save up to 15 of their favourite radio stations, playlists, podcasts, and artist radio stations, making it easier than ever to return to the content they love most.
- Scan Button – discover new stations by sampling live radio across the country, filtering by city or genre, and effortlessly finding new favourites.
- Live Radio Dial – explore the best live stations across Australia, organised by genre and location, recreating the spontaneity and fun of tuning the car radio, now on your phone.
- iHeart Trending and Rankers – see what’s trending right now among other listeners, together with Top Podcasts, Top Playlists, and Top Artist Radio stations, helping users stay connected to the most popular audio content.
- Lyrics – the most requested listener feature is here: follow lyrics karaoke-style for tracks on artist radio and playlists, and see lyrics for songs playing on live radio – now exclusively on iHeart.
“The redesigned iHeart Australia app brings together even more features of live radio, artist radio, playlists, and podcasts in one place, making it easier than ever for listeners to discover, enjoy, and engage with the audio content they love,” said Ben Campbell, ARN Chief Digital and Technology Officer.
“Built on global expertise, local insights, and shaped by months of research and testing with thousands of listeners, this next-generation iHeart app combines the ease and familiarity of the car radio with the personalisation and on-demand capabilities of digital technology. It represents the future of audio entertainment in Australia, delivering the features audiences actually want and shaping the way they consume and interact with audio every day.”
The rollout of the new and FREE iHeart app for Australian listeners begins today on Android and iOS. Download the iHeart app from the App Store or Google Play to explore the next era of digital listening in Australia.
The Scan Stations button is an interesting concept. It plays about 5 seconds of each stream across the Live Radio Dial until you press Stop Scan. The only time that it’s painfully ineffective is when the stream starts with a pre-roll ad (some ARN streams and all the SBS Audio ones).
What a riveting app update 
When did KIX become iHeart Country?
October 24, 2025
https://radiotoday.com.au/kix-rebrands-to-iheartcountry-australia/