Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) CEO Joan Warner will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to the development of digital radio broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific Region on March 9, during ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2010 in Kuala Lumpur. CRA represents roughly 99 percent of all commercial radio broadcasters in that country.

An ABU press release points to Warner's leadership in bringing Australian commercial and public broadcasters together for a coordinated industry-wide rollout of DAB+, and to her successful lobby for and management of Band III spectrum allocated by government authorities. In addition to spearheading the nation's digital radio rollout, Warner's responsibilities also include oversight of CRA marketing campaigns, radio codes of practice, audience survey contracts and industry copyright agreements.

Australia now boasts more than 55 digital radio stations on air with signal coverage of nearly 60 percent of Australia's population.