Nine Audio appoints Del Fordham as head of podcasts ahead of Tapt Media transition

Nine Audio has appointed Del Fordham as head of podcasts, as the business prepares to transition to Tapt Media and expand its digital audio strategy.

Fordham will join on 1 May, returning to the company after 12 months at Amazon, where he worked across audio projects in the APAC region. He previously held senior roles at Nine and News Corp Australia.

Nine's Managing Director - Radio, Tom Malone, broke the news in an all-staff email as seen by Mediaweek:  “Del Fordham is returning to the business as our new Head of Podcasts, and will officially join Tapt Media on May 1.

"Many of you know Del from his previous tenure with us, where he was instrumental in laying our audio foundations. He returns after 12 months at Amazon, bringing with him a wealth of global experience and fresh insights into the evolving digital audio landscape.”

Fordham’s appointment follows his previous role as associate director of originals for APAC at Audible. Prior to that, he was head of podcasts and content director at Nine Entertainment and head of audio at News Corp Australia.

Role aligned to FY26 operating plan

Malone's email continued: “As outlined in our FY26 Operating Plan, a core priority is to make Nine Audio (soon to be Tapt Media) the most connected audio business in Australia. To support this priority, Del’s primary mandate will be:

"Strategy: Reviewing and accelerating our podcast slate to target new and younger audiences.

"Commercialisation: Working closely with our Sales and Digital teams to scale podcast investment and drive incremental revenue.

"Innovation: Aligning our high-quality content with new distribution opportunities across YouTube, and beyond.”

Focus on digital growth and distribution

“Our goal is to grow our digital audio footprint aggressively, and Del’s leadership is a vital piece of that puzzle.”

The appointment comes as Nine Audio prepares to rebrand as Tapt Media, reflecting a broader focus on digital audio growth, audience expansion and commercialisation.

Main image: Del Fordham.

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