Alan Jones has allegedly cancelled his plans to return to Australia after leaving the country for London the week before Christmas.
Please note: This article discusses themes of sexual assault that may be distressing to some readers.
Jones was due to return to his on-air role at ADH TV (Australian Digital Holdings) at the end of the month, but a source close to Jones, who chose not to be identified, said he has no immediate plans to return to Australia.
With Jones on the other side of the world, his absence will be felt within ADH TV, with the job of filling the gap his absence leaves likely falling on prospective new chief executive Jason Morrison.
Morrison previously worked alongside Jones at 2GB and appears set to take the reins at ADH TV in late February. Jones was recently accused of the historic indecent assault of several young men during his prominent career, and Morrison, caught in the cross hairs, denied turning a blind eye to the allegations at the time. Jones has adamantly denied the allegations made against him.
Shortly after the allegations were revealed by The Sydney Morning Herald‘s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, Jones launched an attack on journalists. In the concerns notice letter sent to the Nine Media Corporation, Jones accused journalists of wanting to destroy his reputation and threatened defamation proceedings against the media company.
Jones is renowned for his strong and often controversial opinions. He was a significant name in Australian talk-back radio from starting on 2UE in 1985 to his retirement from 2GB in 2020. At the time of his retirement, Jones cited ill health as the reason for his leaving. However, many news outlets reported that the change was a forced resignation in response to negative comments about former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. In 2013, Jones also appeared on Sky News’ Jones & Co, but in 2021, his contract was not renewed.
ADH TV launched in 2021, with Alan Jones announced as its first host on 10 December. Jones has previously declined to acknowledge who is funding the network but has claimed that the funders broadly share his world view. The Sydney Morning Herald understands that ADH TV’s revenue comes from a share of advertising profits from social media platforms such as YouTube. It also has privately sourced advertising.
