Radio veteran Alan Jones downplayed rumours of a return to radio during an interview on the KIIS network’s Kyle & Jackie O Show.
Jones, a conservative commentator, was the long time host of 2GB’s breakfast show before retiring in 2020. He was replaced by Ben Fordham, who has struggled to maintain the channel’s ratings.
2GB lost its top spot in Sydney’s breakfast radio ratings to the Kyle & Jackie O Show, an upset to the network’s 18 year domination of the slot.
Jones now hosts a TV news program on Sky News, though since Fordham’s ratings slump, rumours have swirled that he may make a return to radio.
However, in an appearance on the Kyle & Jackie O Show, he dismissed the rumours.
First, Jackie ‘O’ Henderson asked him about whether he foresaw 2GB’s loss in the ratings.
Rather than commenting on Fordham’s dip, Jones instead commending Henderson and co-host Kyle Sandilands.
“You people work hard, you put out a good product, and at the end of the day, the public respond.”
“You’ve been at it for a while, you know what you’re doing. It’s a good show – lots of laughs, lots of entertainment, lots of information.”
Sandilands then said he’d got a call from former radio broadcaster John Laws, who said “you know Alan wants to come back to radio,” and said he and Jones should host their own show.
Jones then joked that the three of them (he, Laws and Sandilands) should co-host a show, and said he had sent him a message that day they won the ratings.
Sandilands asked whether Jones missed radio, with Jones reflecting that in radio, you had “greater scope.”
“There’s a lot more stuff you can do. Television’s a much tighter format, and we are Sky News, which is predominantly news, whereas I think I’ve got a lot of interests as well, which I like discussing – which I used to like discussing with my audience.”
“In a sense, I think when one’s been in it as long as I’ve been it, I suppose part of it’s still there. But I enjoy what I’m doing…it’s a good intellectual challenge, and I think you’ve got to keep that going.”
When Henderson pushed the topic of a return to radio, Jones joked that he didn’t want to threaten their number one slot.
“You’ve worked too hard to have that prestige challenged so readily! Jackie, you’d never forgive me…I probably couldn’t beat you anyway.”
Talk then turned to COVID-19 and the lockdowns across the country. Jones was heavily critical of the different government responses, particularly citing “the fear these politicians have engendered in the public”.
