What Disrupt Radio owed Libbi Gorr and SEN

BY MATTHEW LEONG AND HAL CRAWFORD

March 21, 2025 9:58

What Disrupt Radio owed Libbi Gorr and SEN

Libbi Gorr and Bod Geldof in studio (Disrupt)

Troubled media startup Disrupt Radio racked up debts of more than $400k in unpaid rent and services, including $85k to presenter Libbi Gorr, according to court documents lodged as part of a winding up application that was later dismissed.

The network kicked off in June 2023 with big name talent and supporters, including Bob Geldof, who co-presented with Gorr for a week.

Court documents show that within 18 months, Disrupt was no longer paying its bills for rent and services with Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), which hosted Disrupt’s studios and provided access to its digital radio (DAB+) licenses.

Gorr’s company was named as a creditor along with SEN in the application for winding up, which was scheduled for the Victorian Supreme Court in February.

The winding up application was dismissed, however, possibly because the creditors agreed to a private settlement. Both Gorr and SEN declined to comment.

Libbi Gorr and Bob Geldof in studio (Disrupt)

Founded by Benjamin Roberts — a former radio host for 6PR in Perth, who also served as Disrupt’s CEO — Disrupt Radio styled itself as a network for innovators and entrepreneurs. Apart from Gorr and Geldof, Jules Lund came on board as a host of drivetime show, Start-Up Nation.

Gorr gained fame as Elle McFeast in the 1990s and has a long history in broadcast. It is unclear how many weeks of work the unpaid $85,181.25 owed to her represents.

Former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie still sits on the board with Roberts.

The company’s target audience was small businesses, start-ups, “disruptive thinkers” and entrepreneurs.

Despite the star power attached to its shows and board, the company found itself dealing with hefty costs, poor audience numbers and lack of investment. Disrupt reportedly spent $4.6 million during its first operational year, while only taking in advertising revenue of $308,000.

A crowdfunding campaign with a $1 million target brought in less than $25,000 by July 2024.

After a failed investment round in August — the same month that also saw Disrupt go off air — and employees not being paid for three months’ worth of work, October 2024 saw Roberts declare a “comeback”, saying he hoped Disrupt Radio would begin broadcasting again in September.

SEN’s unpaid invoices to Disrupt (Supreme Court of Victoria)

ASIC documentation shows that investors sank just under $4m into Disrupt in return for shares. Its primary investors remain unknown.

The radio network struggled to find an audience, with a low-key marketing strategy and an emphasis on real-time audio over podcasting.

Note: The headline and first paragraph of this story have been changed since first publication to more prominently reflect the fact that Disrupt Radio was not wound up.