Kyle Sandilands is devastated. He loves Jackie “O” Henderson and he wants back on the radio. That’s basically what the suspended shock jock said in his first public statement about the debacle of the past few weeks.
Sandilands is facing allegations of “serious misconduct” regarding his behavior during a broadcast on February 20, where he verbally attacked his co-host Henderson over her interest in astrology.
Last week, KIIS owner ARN gave Sandilands a 14-day window to remedy this alleged breach of contract, during which time he remains off the air.
In his statement on Tuesday, March 10, he described the situation as devastating and expressed a strong desire to return to the airwaves and honour his (very lucrative) 10-year contract.
Now, you can slice it and dice it a hundred ways, and many people have. I recommend some of my own recent articles about this (as I would), along with the coverage at Mumbrella, and this analysis by James Cridland.
All I’ll add to the noise right now is this prediction: if Sandilands and Henderson do come back to the radio, as a duo or separately, they will not rate anywhere near as well (except, perhaps, for a blip for the first days or weeks as the morbidly curious tune in).
Sandilands is now like the Wizard of Oz after the curtain was pulled back. He’s a humbug. Too many people have seen how it all works.
He may have lesser success on radio, or do very well online, but he will never again be “king” of the mainstream airwaves.
Radio daze
I’m a fan of Tony Martin’s Sizzletown, the comedy podcast where recurring sketches feature Crackers and the Tugboat, a fictional radio show with hosts who do very ill-conceived crank calls.
Martin obviously used the silliest name he could come up with, but there are real-life shows that could give the Tugboat a run for his money.
A new one that recently caught my eye, if not my ears, is the SEN Geelong Drive program, The Run Home with Worlo & Moons. Both legit nicknames I’m sure, but it just sounds like a gag to me.
I’ve written before about radio presenters who’ve abandoned their nicknames after changing stations — including Jase Hawkins, formerly of B105, and Nick Allen-Ducat, currently of Nova 106.9 — but I just remembered a case going back 20 years or more about a Brisbane radio station personality who was told he couldn’t use his nickname at a rival station because his employer “owned” it.
It might have been a bluff, because I believe he’s using it again now.
Anyway, who knows some silly names of radio stars or programs that they’d like to share?
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P.S.
My friend and former colleague, Spencer Howson, may not be hosting Saturday Mornings on 612 Brisbane (for… reasons), but he was interviewed by ABC Mt Isa’s Zara Margolis about what he’s up to in his PhD research. Listen here. For more information about the study, click here.
Disclosure: Brett Debritz is a journalist and former radio producer who maintains his rage.
This article was update on March 12 at 6.35am
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