'I don't accept it': Kyle Sandilands reveals contract terminated by ARN

The shock jock said ARN "decided to try and burn the place down" over an on-air spat with Jackie O.

Kyle Sandilands has revealed his contract with ARN Media has been terminated following a 14-day suspension from the KIIS FM radio station.

In a statement released this morning, Sandilands said he "did not accept" the termination of his contract.

"ARN has just announced that they've terminated my contract. I don't accept it. My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is," he said in a statement.

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Sandilands' bombshell statement was released less than hour before ARN Media published a market announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).

"ARN Media advises that it has issued a notice of termination of contract to Mr Kyle Sandilands and Quasar Media Services Pty Ltd," the statement said.

"As a result, the Kyle and Jackie O show will no longer be presented.

"The decision follows the company's ASX announcement on March 3 which outlined that ARN had provided written notice to Mr Sandilands and Quasar Media stating that it considered Mr Sandilands' behaviour during the broadcast of February 20 to constitute serious misconduct and a breach of ARN's services agreement with Quasar Media.

"As noted in the March 3 announcement, Mr Sandilands was given 14 days to remedy the breach."

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In his lengthy statement, issued through his manager Bruno Bouchet, Sandilands explained his version of everything that had happened in the past two weeks.

"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. 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!'"

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Sandilands said he apologised to Henderson the night of the blow-up.

"When I said I was sorry to Jackie, I meant it. I still mean it. But it doesn't mean I will stand by while I am separated from the people who've listened to me every morning for 25 years.

"Before they suspended me, ARN said, 'Let us handle it,' and I listened. 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."

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He continued: "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. I held up my end. I always have.

"So, you tell me – why would ARN prefer to breach a contract and pay the legal consequences rather than honour the contract and pay me to do what I do best? That's the bit that doesn't make sense.

"I've got a contract until 2034. I've got rights under that contract. And ARN hasn't honoured the contract."

He concluded by saying he's "not done" by a long way.

"So, it's over to my lawyers."

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It is the latest twist in the saga over the implosion of Sandilands and Henderson's hit Sydney radio show.

On Monday, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) hit ARN Media with licensing conditions after being found guilty of several breaches since the start of last year.

In a statement ACMA confirmed the company could face fines, suspension or cancellation of their broadcasting licence.

ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said ARN had consistently failed to meet obligations under the Commercial Radio Code of Practice.

"ARN management have been unwilling or unable to control the content that has gone to air," she said.

"These additional licence conditions mean further breaches will attract strong enforcement action that was not otherwise available.

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Details of the on-air blow-up that derailed Kyle and Jackie O's $200 million deal

The on-air fight began after Jackie O read from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's astrology birth chart and Sandilands complained about her interest in astrology charts.

"Your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable," Sandilands told her.

"You are off with the fairies with this s---, it's mental."

He claimed her fixation on astrology charts made her sound like a "drug addict".

Henderson has previously opened up on air about addiction issues that led to her going to rehabilitation in the US in 2022.

Henderson said Sandiland's accusations were "so unfair" and that he was attacking her on air.

"I would never say things like that about you," she said.

"It's a total attack, it really is. Kyle, to say 'you don't know what the F is going on, you're not doing your job,' that's an attack and I wouldn't do that."

Sandilands and Henderson have been in an on-air partnership for 27 years.

They moved to breakfast in 2005 and then to KIIS in 2014.

They have been under contract in a lucrative $200 million, 10-year deal that was set to run until December 2034.

Kyle Sandilands' statement in full

ARN has just announced that they've terminated my contract.

I don't accept it.

My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.

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. 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!"

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. But it doesn't mean I will stand by while I am separated from the people who've listened to me every morning for 25 years.

Before they suspended me, ARN said, "Let us handle it," and I listened. 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.

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. I held up my end. I always have.

So, you tell me — why would ARN prefer to breach a contract and pay the legal consequences rather than honour the contract and pay me to do what I do best? That's the bit that doesn't make sense.

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.

To the people who tune in every morning — you lot are the reason I've done this for 25 years. You didn't get a say in this. Neither did I. But my lawyers will. I'm not done. Not by a long way.

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