RADIO BROADCASTERS – AUSTRALIA

Nine expects more from less after Jones

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Original article by Steve Jackson, Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-May-20

Veteran radio broadcaster Alan Jones has dominated Sydney’s breakfast slot for many years, boasting a 17.9 per cent audience share in April. Industry insiders question whether Ben Fordham will retain Jones’s loyal audience when the latter bows out on 29 May. There is also speculation that 2GB will retrench much of Jones’s production team, which would compound the challenges that Fordham will face. However, he may attract new advertisers and a younger audience. Fordham will have some time to settle into the breakfast slot, given that ratings are on hold until September due to the pandemic.

CORPORATES
2GB, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Nine Radio takes short-term hit as Jones exits, but gets space to reset

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-May-20

Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones will step down as host of 2GB’s breakfast show after a 35-year career in radio. Ben Fordham will move from the drive slot to take over the breakfast slot, where Jones has dominated the ratings for many years. Patrick Potts of Martin Currie says Fordham is likely to lose some of Jones’s loyal audience, but notes that he may attract a younger demographic. 2GB may also regain some of the advertisers that boycotted the breakfast show in 2019 due to Jones’s comments about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Jones will continue to appear on pay-TV channel Sky News and write for News Corp mastheads.

CORPORATES
2GB, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SKY NEWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Monumental egos collide in a failed radio plot to get rid of Alan Jones

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 8-Jul-19

Veteran radio presenter Alan Jones has dominated Sydney’s breakfast slot for 15 years. However, a record defamation payout in September 2018 and several subsequent incidents involving Jones prompted 2GB owner Macquarie Media to look at replacing him with morning show host Ray Hadley. A number of factors were in Jones’s favour, including Nine Entertainment’s takeover of Fairfax and its controlling stake in Macquarie Media. Nine chairman Peter Costello wanted 2GB to retain Jones, while Nine was already struggling with the departure of Karl Stefanovic from ‘Today’. Jones also had the support of Macquarie Media chairman Russell Tate. Jones renewed his contract for another two years in May 2019.

CORPORATES
2GB, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED

Jones in $4m deal to stay on radio

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 3 : 29-May-19

Macquarie Media has signed up Alan Jones for another two years as the host of 2GB’s breakfast program, following protracted negotiations. Jones has stressed that both himself and Macquarie chairman Russell Tate are happy with the new deal, and that it does not feature any onerous conditions. Jones has not ruled out remaining at 2GB beyond his new two-year contract, but says it is too soon to make such a commitment.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, 2GB, RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Hadley facing legal action over bullying

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Apr-19

A former employee of Sydney radio station 2GB is believed to planning to sue broadcaster Ray Hadley, claiming that bullying contributed to his mental health problems. Chris Bowen alleges that he was subject to ‘intense bullying’ over a 16-year period at 2GB. He first raised allegations of bullying via social media in March, but did not name Hadley at the time. Bowen has yet to file any documents in court.

CORPORATES
2GB, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, LAXON LAWYERS

Radio star Jones fights to overturn gag order

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Original article by Charlie Peel
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Feb-19

A Brisbane court is hearing an application to lift an injunction that prevents veteran radio broadcaster Alan Jones from repeating imputations that prompted a record defamation payout in 2018. The Wagner family was awarded $3.75m in damages after the Supreme Court ruled that Jones had defamed them in a series of broadcasts on 2GB and 4BC. The Wagners’ lawyer has argued that the injunction simply prevents Jones from repeating the allegations and does not prevent him from discussing the case.

CORPORATES
2GB, RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, COURT OF APPEAL (QUEENSLAND)

Alan Jones defamed Wagner family over Grantham floods

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 13-Sep-18

Macquarie Media will have to pay Toowoomba’s Wagner brothers $3.75 million after it and broadcaster Alan Jones lost a defamation case in the Supreme Court of Queensland. The case related to allegations by Jones in broadcasts in 2014 and 2015 that the quarry the brothers owned had caused the deaths of 12 people in the Grantham floods in 2011. The Wagner brothers had been seeking $4.8 million in damages. Justice Peter Flanagan directed Jones and his programs to never again repeat his defamatory comments.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, 2GB, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

Decision day for Alan Jones in Wagner defamation case

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: Online : 12-Sep-18

Supreme Court of Queensland Justice Peter Flanagan will hand down his decision in a defamation case involving broadcaster Alan Jones on 12 September. The Toowoomba-based Wagner brothers are seeking $4.8 million in damages over 32 broadcasts made by Jones in 2014 and 2015. The Wagners claim they were defamed by imputations that the collapse of a dirt wall in a quarry they owned caused the deaths of 12 people in floods in 2011. They are also suing Jones and co-defendants 4BC and Harbour Radio regarding allegations concerning the Wellcamp airport near Toowoomba; journalist Nick Cater is a defendant in regard to one of the 32 broadcasts.

CORPORATES
SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, HARBOUR RADIO PTY LTD

2DayFM rejects Kyle and Jackie talk

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 9-Feb-16

The contracts of KIIS 106.5 FM breakfast show hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson expire at the end of 2016. However, Southern Cross Media Group CEO Grant Blackley says his company has not held talks with the popular duo about returning to 2DayFM. There has been a sharp fall in the radio station’s ratings and revenue since they left in 2014. Meanwhile, Blackley says Southern Cross could potentially end its affiliation agreement with Ten Network if cross-media ownership reforms proceed.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, KIIS1065, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD

Cutting costs will ‘only go so far’

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 12-Oct-15

Southern Cross Media CEO Grant Blackley says it is important for media companies to invest in on-air talent, as well as marketing and promotion. He has defended the group’s move to recruit Rove McManus to host 2Day FM’s breakfast program, arguing that increased ratings result in higher advertising revenue. Blackley adds that cost cuts are only a short-term solution for media companies.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD