ARN Media has cancelled the Kyle & Jackie O show after Jacqueline Henderson gave notice she “cannot continue to work with Kyle Sandilands”. The popular and controversial show had run for 22 years.
The impasse follows second week of Henderson refusing to present the show, following on air criticism from Sandilands about her work ethic.
ARN has provided a written warning to Sandilands about his behaviour during the show, describing it as an “act of serious misconduct” in breach of ARN’s services agreement with Quasar Media, under which Sandilands presents the Kyle and Jackie O show.
He has two weeks to remedy his breach or will face the axe. During this period, Sandilands will not take part in the show.
Henderson’s contract was terminated, although ARN said in a statement that it had offered Henderson the possibility of presenting in an alternative show on the ARN network.
Kyle and Jackie O were a year into their 10-year $200 million contract.
The KIIS breakfast show will be taken off-air effective immediately, with interim arrangements made for a replacement in the breakfast slot.
It brings to an end one of the highest rating, yet controversial shows on radio.
The pair were enduring media stars that survived multiple scandals, ACMA breaches, advertiser boycotts and shifts in what Australian audiences found acceptable on air behaviour.
Although stars in Sydney, their foray into the Melbourne breakfast radio market was largely a failure, but did not cost them their jobs.
Remarkably, in the end the pair’s reign in radio was undone be each other.
