Radio shock jock Ray Hadley has come out swinging at Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and Fairfax Media, accusing the two media companies of censoring a court case involving a truck driver in regional NSW.
The 2GB host slammed SCA this morning on air for pulling his radio feed from Triple M Central West whenever he mentions the legal case, saying the rival radio network was only doing it to protect an advertiser – West Orange Motors.
The case focuses on a truck driver who worked for West Orange Motors who was involved in a fatal crash, and was subsequently charged with dangerous driving causing death and negligent driving causing death – only to have his licence handed back by a magistrate, according to The Australian.
“It’s a commercial decision for you to make, fellas. I couldn’t give a tinker’s cuss if you were here or not here,” he told listeners.
“I love my listeners in regional areas, but if Southern Cross want to play games and continue to act in this petulant way, and then tell lies ‘Oh, he is talking about a case we can’t talk about’. That’s just a lie. It’s about a sponsors’ deal,” he said.
“I have great loyalty to my listeners in all areas, whether it be 2GB or 4BC or other areas, but I won’t be curtailed by them.
“If they wish to in a different direction, that’s a matter entirely for them, but the sort of stuff they are doing is unprofessional, it’s petulant, it’s nonsense.”
Hadley found support from listeners, one of which was an advertiser on Triple M who said he would pull his sponsorship as a result.
Triple M Central West apologised to listeners for cutting off Hadley’s broadcast on its Facebook page yesterday.
But the 2GB host was not done yet, also attacking Fairfax for not reporting on the court case in its local newspaper for Orange, the Central Western Daily.
