Kyle Sandilands speaks out: ‘This is devastating to me … I want to be on air’
Kyle has issued a statement saying he wants to carry on with his top-rating radio show
Kyle Sandilands has issued a contrite statement regarding the suspension of the Kyle and Jackie O Show.
This comes in the wake on an on-air argument with co-host Jackie Henderson, which led to ARN’s subsequent termination of Henderson’s contract and an allegation of “serious misconduct” against Sandilands.
On Friday night, Henderson released her own statement, claiming she was blindsided by ARN’s decision to terminate her services agreement with the network, after she told them she “cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands.”
Sandilands’ entire statement is below:
I want to speak directly to my listeners, my colleagues and the public about what has been happening.
On 20 February, I had an argument with Jackie on air about something that had been bothering me for a while. I said things I wish I had said differently. That same evening, I sent Jackie a message telling her I was sorry for anything I said that didn’t go down well, that I love her and care for her, and that I could have handled it better. I meant every word of that, and I still do.
Jackie and I have worked together for over 25 years. She is one of the most important people in my life. The idea that our partnership could end like this is devastating to me.
ARN told me that I am not allowed to contact Jackie. They have told me that I am not allowed to speak to my colleagues. I did what was asked even though it made it impossible for me to do the one thing anyone in my position would want to do — pick up the phone and talk to the person I have been talking with continually for my entire career.
The truth is that ARN terminated Jackie’s contract on the same day it accused me of a breach. It suspended me from work. All of this happened while I was being told to sit quietly and say nothing. That is not a genuine process.
I am not going to pretend that everything about this situation is simple. Jackie told me she was hurt, and I accept that. But we have had disagreements before and we have always worked through them. That is what partners do. We never needed lawyers or ASX announcements to sort things out. I believe we could have sorted this out too, if ARN had given us the chance.
I have a contract with ARN that runs until 2034.
I am committed to that contract.
Despite what ARN says, I am not in breach of that contract.
I want to be on air. I want to be with my audience. I want to do the job I have done my entire adult life.
I am asking ARN to do the right thing: honour our agreement and let me get back to doing what I do best — entertaining the people who have supported this show for more than two decades.
To my listeners: Thank you. I miss you. I’ll be back.
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Cry me a river. You get what you reap.
Unlikely that ARN will want to ‘honour’ that agreement/contract. But, the alternative might be even more costly for the company..
What a debacle!!
I bet the lawyers are salivating over the prospect of this being contested.
If he truly believes he has an audience then why wouldn’t he go the Stefanovic route and take control of his own brand and IP?
There has never been an easier time to create your own platform if you are genuinely interesting and have something to say.
Well based on the sharemarket today market cap is going to slip under 110m – at the moment 107m – Kyle if you are so keen to be on air, form a consortium and buy it !!! Would you pay yourself 100m over 10 years ???
ARN faces MASSIVE issues no matter how this pans out
As much as I detest him, I think he has a point