Up to date ,first printed
Jackie “O” Henderson has engaged legal professionals after KIIS FM’s homeowners terminated her $10 million a 12 months contract, declaring she didn’t resign from her radio present with Kyle Sandilands.
Henderson stated she needed to clarify that she had not stop or resigned, in response to what she described as “hypothesis and misinformation” about her departure this week.
Radio firm ARN, which owns the KIIS community that was house to the Kyle & Jackie O Present, introduced on Tuesday that Henderson had stated she couldn’t work with Sandilands. It stated it had terminated her $100 million, 10-year contract in consequence nevertheless it supplied her a brand new present on undisclosed phrases. ARN suspended Sandilands for 2 weeks and stated it might tear up his contract too except he might repair what it described as “critical misconduct”.
Henderson stated, in a press release through her supervisor Gemma O’Neill: “I’m deeply saddened by the occasions of the previous week and the potential of the present ending. This has come as a shock to me, because it has to everybody else.
“The present media narrative doesn’t mirror what really occurred, and it has been really heartbreaking to see how this has unfolded. At this stage, I’m unable to say something additional, as I’m addressing this by way of the suitable authorized channels.
“Thanks to everybody who has despatched sort messages of assist throughout what has been an extremely difficult time.”
The pair signed a 10-year deal in 2023 price $200 million. That deal started final 12 months and was set to run till the tip of 2034. However the phrases of that contract, which haven’t been disclosed, require the pair to ship The Kyle & Jackie O Present collectively, in line with firm sources.
The break-up of Australia’s most well-known media personalities has dominated headlines all week, after the corporate’s plans to develop the present into Melbourne yielded poor scores and launches in Brisbane and Adelaide had been placed on ice.
Henderson went off-air after Sandilands berated her throughout a reside broadcast on February 20, claiming she had turn out to be obsessive about horoscopes and that she had been distracted from work.
“You’re off with the fairies, you might be unfocused, you don’t give a shit … everybody on this constructing has talked about it to me,” Sandilands informed Henderson in the course of the present as she fought again tears.
ARN declined to touch upon Henderson’s assertion.
However a number of senior firm sources, talking anonymously as a result of authorized sensitivities surrounding the matter, stated they had been shocked by the content material and wording of the assertion.
“We’re all scratching our heads in right here,” stated one KIIS insider. “When you’re contracted to ship the Kyle & Jackie O present, and also you come to ARN and say, ‘I can’t work with Kyle’, then you may’t ship in your contract. Why would she assume she’s nonetheless entitled to her $10 million a 12 months?“
One other supply stated that whereas they’d not personally seen Sandilands’ or Henderson’s contracts, “ARN must be mad to not embody a clause of their agreements that states they’re particularly contracted to ship the Kyle & Jackie O present. And the very fact is that ARN lured them over from SCA [their former employers, Southern Cross Austereo] as a duo.“
The supply stated that Sandilands’ and Henderson’s pay parity “is additional proof that they’re contracted to ship a selected product collectively, which is the Kyle & Jackie O present”.
This masthead has beforehand reported that sources accustomed to the Kyle & Jackie O present anticipate Sandilands to sue over the destiny of his contract, which ARN is predicted to terminate except he can persuade Henderson to return to the present they broadcast collectively.
Media and leisure legislation skilled Shaun Miller, principal of Shaun Miller Legal professionals, stated the scenario would turn out to be clear as soon as Henderson’s authorized declare was filed.
Whereas Miller has not seen the contracts between ARN and Henderson, he believes ARN might validly argue it was justified in terminating her settlement.
“By saying she might now not work with Kyle, she’s successfully saying, ‘I can now not ship upon my contract’. That might be ARN’s argument, they usually’ve received some extent. By withdrawing her participation within the present, the premise of her engagement has concluded.
“I very a lot doubt there would have been a clause within the contract that stated if Jackie O leaves the Kyle and Jackie O present, she’s routinely entitled to a different function at ARN – I can’t think about ARN boxing themselves into that scenario. Now, ARN might very effectively need to have interaction Jackie in a brand new function, and Jackie might or might not need to settle for that function, however that must be negotiated with the events.”
Whereas Miller stated he was not aware about Henderson’s authorized technique, “it will likely be primarily based on the declare that ARN has breached her employment contract… Jackie may really feel she’s been handled badly and unjustly, however that doesn’t imply her contract has been breached or ARN have acted unlawfully.
“If [Henderson and Sandilands] have been working collectively for 27 years, you would argue that their industrial worth is price extra collectively than in the event that they had been engaged individually.”
Miller stated a confidentiality clause in Henderson’s contract may prohibit what she will be able to reveal in regards to the phrases and situations of her employment.
Sandilands and Henderson have repeatedly confronted controversies over offensive remarks and stunts however they’ve at all times bounced again.
However their present, which is presently suspended, had come to be a monetary challenge for ARN as a result of it had faltered within the Melbourne market and was being focused by activists, diminishing its attraction for advertisers.
The Enterprise Briefing publication delivers main tales, unique protection and skilled opinion. Signal as much as get it each weekday morning.
