Kyle Sandilands has slammed ARN Media’s decision to terminate his long-term contract in a new statement.
In the statement released after ARN announced the termination on Wednesday morning, Sandilands said he did not accept the network’s position and claimed his legal team had already warned ARN the move would not stand.
“ARN has just announced that they’ve terminated my contract. I don’t accept it,” Sandilands said.
“My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.”
Sandilands said the breakdown followed an on-air clash with co-host Jackie O Henderson, which he described as consistent with past disagreements heard across the show’s long history.
“Let me tell you what actually happened here. Jackie and I had a blue on air. That’s it. The kind of thing we’ve done a hundred times in 25 years. And ARN took the situation and decided to try and burn the place down.”
He claimed ARN escalated the fallout by removing both hosts from the program.
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
“They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call her or anyone else on the show.”
“Then — and this is the bit that gets me — once they’d made it impossible for the show to go on, they turn around and say, ‘You didn’t fix it. You’re fired!’”
Sandilands said he apologised to Henderson shortly after the incident.
“I said sorry to Jackie the night of our blow-up. And when I said I was sorry to Jackie, I meant it. I still mean it.”
Sandilands said he had complied with ARN’s requests during the suspension period and repeatedly offered to return to air under different arrangements.
“In the two weeks since, I’ve done everything ARN asked. I said, put me back on air. I’ll work with Jackie. I’ll work with someone else. Whatever you need. Every single time – ‘no.’”
“They weren’t interested. They didn’t want to fix this. They thought they saw a chance to get out of the contract they signed with me a year ago, and they ran with it.”
He also defended his value to the network, pointing to ratings and revenue delivered during his tenure.
“ARN knew exactly what they were getting when they signed my deal. They’ve worked with me for over a decade.
“They knew how I work, they knew the show, and they were happy to pay for it — because I delivered number one ratings. Year after year. Hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for their business.”
Sandilands said his contract remains active until 2034 and that the matter will now be handled by lawyers.
“I’ve got a contract until 2034. I’ve got rights under that contract. And ARN hasn’t honoured the contract. So, it’s over to my lawyers.”
“I’m not done. Not by a long way.”
From Mediaweek