Commercial Radio & Audio has announced Curtin University student Kate Cleaver as the winner of the 2025 Brian White Scholarship. The annual award supports aspiring journalists entering Australia’s commercial radio sector.
The selection of this year’s recipient followed an intensive workshop hosted by Nova Entertainment for the four finalists. The session was led by senior commercial radio news figures from four of the country’s major broadcast groups, including Fiona Ellis-Jones from ARN, Penny Ghosn from Nine Radio, Michelle Stephenson from Nova Entertainment and Amy Goggins from SCA.
Cleaver will take part in a four-week paid placement across the newsrooms of ARN, Nine Radio, Nova Entertainment and SCA. CRA CEO Lizzie Young said the scholarship forms part of the organization’s Sound Start program, which aims to develop new talent for a medium that CRA says reaches 15 million Australians each week. Young said, “Kate’s talent stood out, and we’re proud to support her hands-on experience across four major newsrooms.”
Cleaver said she is eager to begin the placement. “I am beyond thrilled to get selected for the Brian White Scholarship. I can’t wait for the opportunity to immerse myself in commercial radio whilst getting to work alongside some of the best in the business,” she said.
The scholarship honors Brian White, regarded within the Australian broadcast sector as the country’s first commercial radio cadet journalist. He helped establish the news talk format and had an influential career spanning three decades.
Entries for the 2026 scholarship will open in the middle of next year and are open to recent graduates or final-year students in communications, media, journalism and radio.
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