The Edge rebrands as Australian hip hop, r&b network CADA to grow beyond Triple J

Australia is about to get a new radio station out to win over our young hip hop and r&b fanbase — and has its sights on growing bigger than Triple J.

Western Sydney radio station The Edge will relaunch this week as national youth network CADA to champion the pop culture dominance of hip hop and r&b across the airwaves, digital streaming and social media.

National broadcaster ARN has revamped the station model with CADA – it will be an FM station in Sydney and Katoomba, on digital radio in every capital city, and stream nationally via iHeartRadio.

CADA will also produce video content for YouTube and social media, starring one of the most diverse line-up of presenters in Australian broadcasting, stacked with musicians, comedians, DJs and social media superstars.

CADA presenter Avneesha Martins is a triple threat artist, actor and social media star. Picture: Jonathan Ng

TikTok singer, actor and comedian Avneesha Martins will be hoping to migrate some of her 1.7 million followers to her CADA audience with the afternoon show Keeping Up With Avneesha, a mash-up of music, pop culture and fashion.

“I live on the internet, doing crazy things wearing a moustache or releasing r&b music; I call myself an artist first but people love the acting side of what I do,” she said.

“The old school model was stay in your lane and we’ll market you this way and that’s who you are but that’s not a reflection of real life.

“With CADA, I’m a music artist with a finger on the pulse of the internet.”

CADA presenters Kian and Yaz are musicians and radio hosts. Picture: Supplied.

The network line-up includes former Kyle and Jackie O producer Kian Oliver, paired with TikTok star, radio host and singer Yaz Haddad (signed to the King Kyle Group) helming breakfast – up against their KIIS mates.

Other CADA presenters include internet queen and conversation starter Flex Mami paired with comedian Froomes, TV presenter and podcaster Marty Smiley and his comedian podcast mate Nat Damena, musician B Wise and DJ Helena Ellis.

“We’ve never seen a line-up like this before in terms of diversity, people who sound like us, talk like us and are like us; this is a real reflection of the mainstream audience,” Martins said.

While they are targeting the 18 to 30 years demographic, CADA general manager Emily Copeland said they weren’t going after the audience of ABC’s national youth network Triple J but growing the market by appealing to hip hop and r&b fans.

CADA presenters Flex Mami and Froomes. Picture: Supplied

From 4pm on Thursday, audiences can listen to artists “CADA is loving right now” from local musicians The Kid Laroi, Mason Dane, A. GIRL and Tkay Maidza to international stars Drake, Doja Cat, Post Malone and Cardi B.

“I think the growth potential for CADA nationally comes from having that multi-platform approach and thinking about your audience as an ecosystem rather than just looking at a single radio survey,” she said.

“We’re creating this multi-platform content for a youth audience who are online all day. And so we wanted to make sure that we had a line-up of hosts and creators who not only could speak with authority and credibility on music and youth culture, but who also were as diverse as that audience.”

Originally published as The Edge rebrands as Australian hip hop, r&b network CADA to grow beyond Triple J