Kyle Sandilands has come out swinging against reports that advertisers are considering walking away from The Kyle & Jackie O Show over his latest slur scandal.
Sandilands has been slammed for using an ableist slur while on a tirade against his own PR team.
The usual drama ensured, disability advocates called out the use of the word, people took to Twitter to share why Sandilands language is so hurtful, and the media reported on Sandilands wild-rant with slight relish knowing it would get clicks.
The horrific pattern of ableist behaviour and language displayed by @kingkyle on @kyleandjackieo is not OK. Neither is @KIIS1065 refusing to hold him accountable or enact consequences. In fact it's foul. So, I wrote about it for the @dailytelegraph 😈https://t.co/9HYxIZGynD
— Hannah Diviney (@hannah_diviney) October 5, 2022
Plus, there’s always the larger conversation that kicks off. Why does Sandilands always get away with it? Well, practically speaking, it’s because he is on a radio show that always kills it in the ratings, and advertisers want a piece of that pie, so that keeps the network happy.
But it’s also worth acknowledging that there’s only been proper education about the slur he used in the last few years. Not an excuse, just context.
Usually, when Sandilands is in the throes of backlash, he ignores it. He is famously against ‘woke’ culture, and to his credit, the news cycle tends to move on when he says nothing.
However, The Daily Telegraph reported that two blue-chip advertisers were considering pulling their coin over the slur. The Daily Telegraph reported that a spokesperson for TPG Telecom said: “We will review Mr Sandilands’ comments and amend our advertising schedule accordingly.”
Similarly, Bunning’s marketing director Phil Wade told the paper, “(The advertising placement) does not reflect our view on any given topic. We have conveyed our concerns to the station and are currently reviewing our advertising program,” he said.
Naturally, Sandilands has weighed in on that article. Firstly he said: “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I like to make people feel fun, relaxed, happy and safe.”
He then added: “‘I’m never going to change!”
Sandilands then accused the journalist behind The Daily Telegraph article of contacting all the advertisers for the show to try and get a story. He said she’d been calling advertisers and saying, “You should leave because Kyle’s a horrible person,” and then added: “She has manufactured all of this. And that’s what they do at the paper.”
“That’s fine. The stuff I’ve got on some of the journalists will be mind-blowing,” he added.
ARN Statement told B&T, “ARN does not endorse or condone the comments made by Kyle Sandilands, nor the language that was used or the context with which it was spoken during a segment broadcast on Thursday 29th September. It was not an expression of the views of ARN, which prides itself on an inclusive workplace. However, we accept responsibility and unreservedly apologise to everyone impacted by the segment, both at ARN and the broader community.
“We also acknowledge and support Kyle’s apology on air this morning. We are taking this matter very seriously and undertaking a full review to further reinforce the current processes.
