Reclaiming the power to tell First Nations stories

Mundanara Bayles answers her phone as she arrives back to her hotel room, messages flashing on her screen as she speaks.

It’s been an exhilarating 24 hours for the media personality and entrepreneur. She’s launched the BlakCast Podcast Network, the country’s only podcast network owned and led by First Nations people, and it’s gaining interest.

Bayles, who has deep cultural connections to the Wonnaura and Bunjalung people on her mother’s side and the Birri-Gubba and Gungalu on her father’s side, has been working towards this day for the past three years.

“When you think about mainstream media, you know, mainstream media has demonised Aboriginal people for the last 230 years. So how do we as First Nations people take back or reclaim the power in telling our stories? So it’s empowering to have a network, own it, and invite people to the table on our terms,” she tells FW.

Mundanara Bayles speaking at the launch of the BlakCast Podcast Network in Sydney, on Gadigal Country.

Bayles launched the network in partnership with iHeartRadio, the world’s fastest growing digital audio service. Discussions started earlier this year when iHeartRadio signed Bayles’ podcast, Black Magic Woman, as the first ever Indigenous podcast on their network.

“I said to them, ‘before signing Black Magic Woman, are there going to be any issues when I launch my network? Because I’ve just finished the business modelling. And they’re like, ‘oh, this sounds really exciting’,” she says.

The iHeartRadio executives then told Bayles about a partnership the company has in the US called The Black Effect Podcast Network.

“Over the last three years The Black Effect network has had over 800 million downloads,” Bayles, who is also the managing director of cultural education group BlackCard, says.

She is acutely aware of how the podcast industry works. If you don’t reach about 300,000 downloads a month, then your show can’t be monetised. There’s no value to an advertiser.

“It’s all about advertising. It’s all about revenue. You know, it’s a business model and if it’s not making money, then it’s kind of you know, it’s I guess, giving people false expectation by saying ‘Hey, we can make, you know, we can we can build your podcast and bring some money in, but you’ve only got 1200 downloads a month,” Bayles says.

“But my podcast network, I don’t want to tell somebody that because you’ve only got 1200 downloads a month I don’t think we’ll be able to monetise or commercialise your podcast. As a collective, we are much stronger together.”

BlakCast has launched with six established shows: Black Magic Woman, Yarning Up, Curtain the Podcast, Unapologetically Blak, Meet the Mob and Coming Out Blak.

BlakCast has launched with six established shows: Black Magic Woman, Yarning Up, Curtain the Podcast, Unapologetically Blak, Meet the Mob and Coming Out Blak. In the next five years Bayles wants to increase that number to 100.

“For people reading this article, if you’re wanting to do a podcast, then get onto our radar and let’s start thinking of how do we actually build and grow this industry especially with, you know, those minority voices,” she says.

The network’s first collaboration is Find and Tell. It’s a new podcast series that will be hosted by Jamila Rizvi.

Rizvi, who is also FW’s deputy managing director, has joined BlakCast as a network advisor.

“Having Jamila Rizvi as an advisor, with her industry broadcasting media, journalism background, having her ears and her eyes over things is what sets this network up for success, long term success,” Bayles says.

“We’ve got some deadly people behind us other than iHeart.”

Bayles takes a momentary pause. It’s been a whirlwind experience so far.

FW deputy managing director has joined BlakCast as a network advisor.

“I’ve had Corey Tuck, the CEO of Deadly Science say ‘Sis, I want to do a science podcast’”, she says, her voice palpable with excitement.

“I’ve had Kylie Captain, she’s an author and a teacher, and she wants to do an educational teacher podcast and I just had someone else message me now.”

It’s clear BlakCast has arrived at a tipping point in this country.

Not only is it a much sought after outlet for First Nation creatives, it’s a much needed safe haven for First Nations peoples.

On October 14 this year, Australians headed to the polls to decide whether to change the country’s Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The referendum failed.

Strong leadership, particularly when it comes to the media, is in Bayles’ blood.

Growing up in Redfern, in Sydney’s inner southern suburbs, she watched first hand as her late father, Tiga Bayles, and grandmother, Maureen Watson, pioneered Blak media in the 1980s.

Tiga’s prominence in the radio industry saw him gain the label as “the voice of Indigenous Australia”.

“They laid the foundations and really strong foundations,” Bayles says.

“This network is super important because we need to keep pushing through. We need to give our children hope that they’re going to live in a much more unified Australia, and I’m leading the way as much as I can.”