2GB host Ray Hadley knew he had personal connection to hostage during marathon nine-hour siege shift
Radio presenter Ray Hadley has told Mumbrella he was motivated by a personal emotional agenda during his gruelling nine-hour shift covering the Sydney siege, after learning that his close friend’s sister – Katrina Dawson – was among those held captive in the Lindt cafe.
And tragically Ms Dawson, a barrister and mother of three, was one of the two hostages killed in the early hours of yesterday as police stormed the Martin Place building.
Hadley told Mumbrella that he learned early on during his widely talked about marathon stint in the studios of 2GB, during which he spoke several times to a hostage in the cafe, that the sister of his good friend Sandy Dawson was among those being held at gunpoint.
“I had found out mid morning that the sister of a very dear friend of mine, Sandy Dawson, was inside,” the 60-year-old host of 2GB’s morning show said. “Even though I didn’t know her personally I knew her brother very well and I was concerned for her and that was a focus for me. Of course I wanted a peaceful resolution for all the families but more notably I guess for the family I knew.
“Katrina was a sister, daughter, wife and mother and by all accounts a very good lawyer. Sandy is my barrister and during conferences I used to tell him he was a good barrister but he would say ‘you don’t have the best though, that’s my sister Katrina. She’s the one you should be talking to’.”
Hadley, whose show usually runs from 9am to noon, described the shift as the toughest he has ever done but insisted he gave no thought to stepping away from the mic as the drama unfolded.
Apart from his personal interest, Hadley said he was driven by a sense of duty to listeners and by a desire to report on a peaceful resolution.
“When you get into those sorts of shifts you get locked into it and it becomes second nature. The adrenalin gets you through in part when you are dealing with a crisis like that,” he explained. “You are wanting to disseminate information as quickly and accurately as you can and although you can’t always achieve that, you try to, and I had no thought about taking a break. It’s a job you have got to keep going at.
“Yes, it was tough but insignificant compared to what the hostages were going through.
“I also think that in times of crisis radio can be personal and a comfort. Whether it’s fires which I have reported on over the years, or something like this, there is a sense of duty as it can be a comfort to people, a portable comfort. Radio over the decades has always played that role.
“I was also aware many relatives were listening. The mother of a plumbing apprentice who was among the hostages called me. She wanted to talk to me in case her son was listening and the police wanted me to as it may have tugged at the heartstrings of the hostage taker if he had heard a mother talking about her son.”
During the day, Hadley spoke to one hostage who, under the instruction of hostage taker Man Haron Monis, listed three demands. After initially believing it may be a hoax call, the identity of the caller was confirmed by police as one of those being held.
“I sought advice from the police commissioner on what I should do and he said play for time, tell him you’re working on it,” Hadley said. “The hostage negotiator then came to my studio and spoke to a number of hostages during the day.”
Hadley said he was happy with his decision not to broadcast his initial conversions with the hostage, saying he had a “gut feeling it would do more harm than good”, a feeling that was later reinforced by detectives. He said the calls had not been recorded by the station.
He added he was wary of airing many claims on social media, instead monitoring the TV networks, although he admitted it was difficult in the circumstances to get everything spot on, citing the erroneous report that Sydney Airport had been closed as one example.
After stepping down at 6pm, Hadley said he couldn’t sleep and was “wide awake” at 2.11am when the siege came to its tragic conclusion.
Asked how the media had handled the siege, Hadley said it had “in the main” behaved responsibly in respecting police requests.
“Everyone is competing and editors and broadcasters would have been tempted to name the hostage taker but all complied with police requests not to, which was the responsible thing to do,” he said.
Steve Jones
I often feel repulsed by the self righteous attitudes and piety displayed by some of these talkback hosts and this article reinforces my feelings.
The ABC played a excerpt from when Mr Hadley was in talks with one of the hostages of air, and he was virtually salivating with excitement. These guys have no one in mind but their ratings and ego’s. You didn’t help the situation in the slightest, Mr Hadley.
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thought there was no way an article praising a conservative journalist would get through unchecked.
radio wars,
I haven’t heard the ‘excerpt’ you refer to and am not quite sure why the ABC would be replaying something that you claim happened off air (or ‘of air’). But is it not possible that if Hadley’s voice was raised or energised, it had more to do with the adrenalin of being on air for an extended period of time in such a critical situation, with so many lives on the line, including somebody he has a connection to and the responsibility he had at such a time?
I’d be absolutely crapping myself if I had to talk to a hostage at such a time – what a huge responsibility! And yet you feel certain enough within your own prejudices to claim he was ‘salivating with excitement’.
It seems your judgement is skewed by your own prejudice, just as you criticise others for ‘piety and self righteous attitudes’
(and please learn how and when to use apostrophes)
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I listened on Monday and he was completely responsible throughout the day in the wayhe handled himself and calls that came in from people inside the cafe. He was clearly upset at various times but kept going.
He put numerous Muslim callers to air who expressed their horror at what was on folding.
He’s absolutely right. 2GB was comforting. Their decision to put Kel Richards on in the evening was like pulling on a comfortable old nightie and drinking a cup of cocoa. Soothing. (although the callers were quite a bit more fruitloopy in the evening)
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I know Ray can be hard to handle sometimes and I would hate to work for him, but he was a true professional yesterday and did a fantastic job. On these matters he speaks with a lot of common sense. @ radio wars not sure how the abc got an off air discussion. Fairly sure it would have been played out of context.
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Er…the call never went to air, was never broadcast, wasn’t even recorded. Hadley took the call off air and then spoke off air to police to confirm it was real before telling his listeners he had been speaking to a hostage but had decided not to broadcast and had past the details on to police so they could continue the communications. That is about as responsible as it can get. At about this time he was being criticized by Channel 7, yet it was Hugh Riminton who a few hours later decided to break out with the Hostage takers demands, something that Hadley had been aware of for hours, having deciding against airing that information for obvious security reasons (the Police had requested that the information should not go out). Hugh Riminton of 7 didn’t seem to realize he was last in a list of media outlets being courted by the hostage taker, and jumped on the chance to release his scoop that all other organisations had sensibly refused to air. Why isn’t that the story?
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@fleshpeddler
I suppose I am very prejudice against talk back radio hosts, frankly their reputations precede them. I don’t know how Hadley conducted himself through the day, but what I heard made him sound like a stereotypical hyped up shock jock.
To be clear, the ABC aired a sound bite of Hadley informing his viewers he was in talks with a hostage, not the actual conversation and the bit they put to air was not the conversation, just Hadley himself.
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Dear Ray,
My heart goes out to the victims families involved in this evil act. Our Government should hang their heads in shame. I hope that the Australian Government takes this lone wolf terrorists body and bury it a long way out at sea. This individual does not deserve to be buried anywhere on Australian soil This should become known as “Dawson and Johnston law” and utilised for any other terrorist that attacks our nation on home ground
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@djw Hugh Riminton is not on 7; he is on Ten News.
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Was was excellent and thoughtful so we took their feed.
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Guys
I thought Ray was excellent when I listened to him.
Courteous and extremely careful not to step over the line and waited for police instructions.
Generally speaking the media were very good, I thought.
Can you imagine what these poor hostages went through?
Goodness, could have been anyone of us…
We had to stay in our building in CBD and could hear sirens and choppers.
Heart goes out to two victims (about my age) and their families – so sad. God bless.
This is still the best country in the world.
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The ABC did not mention the word MUSLIM as far as I can recall but referred to Man Haron Monis as a mentally deranged man etc etc. Hadley was controlled and professional and ( like it or not) in my opinion.. balanced. With a friend’s sister being held you would expect he would have been showing his distress but he did not. I am heartened by the support in these comments for Mr.Hadley but I imagine the
left’ side of town, busily organising ‘ride with me’, will be apoplectic!!!!
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He didn’t have to stay on air. Plenty of credible presenters at 2gb could have picked it up from him. He was a pig in mud, people under 60 were listening to him and he was going to lead us all to safety. Half of his reads were about what a wonderful sacrifice he was making which he talked down with false humility then read 5 more. One of those most disgusting displays of ego you could imagine.
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@radio wars
So, you didn’t hear the nine hours he was on air, and based your judgement on your own [quoting] “very prejudice against talk back radio hosts, frankly their reputations precede them. ” and a 15 second sound bite on ABC.
Do yourself a favour – watch the Frontline episode about hostages.
I guarantee the ABC guys were annoyed that 2GB was getting the calls, not themselves.
Hadley’s performance on the day has been praised from the Premier & Police commissioner down the line to his peers and his competitors.
I did listen to Ray all day and then Ben Fordham when he took over – there is no way in hell that he was taking any glee or joy about being in that position, and in fact had the Police Commissioner send an officer to his studio to handle future calls as he said over and over that he (Ray) did not know how to handle such situations as he hadn’t been trained.
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Radio Wars is absolutely typical of many in the media. “I wouldn’t listen to that bastard if you paid me” . . . but then go off and criticise and denigrate him as if he/she/it had listened all day. Radio Wars, you are disgusting.
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Some time ago I would listen to Ray Hadley on live stream most days. Since Michael Smith left Fairfax radio in Brisbane I have seldom listened to 4BC or 2GB. MSN is now my go to site.
However, as soon as the news broke on Monday I switched on 2GB and listened to Ray. He was a stark contrast to the clowns on seven and nine. Ray appeared to me to be very professional and balanced. He did not seem to be feeding his ego at all. and was sincere and genuine in his concern for a peaceful and safe outcome for all. It was great coverage that surpassed that of any TV station that seemed to draw out every last bit of left wing idiology.
And Guess what? Michael Smith had the worst of the lot on his website. News 24. Very disappointed about that Michael. Well done Ray Haddley and 2GB on your crediable and authentic coverage of this sad ordeal. My heart and prayers go to the families affected and those who lost loved ones.
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Dear Ray I’ve been listening to you for years. No shock jock but a very opinionated guy who isn’t afraid to say it like it is. I’ve just doubled my respect for you and your compassion n hard work are worthy of recognition. I’m a new Aussie been here 30+ years. My parents listened to you to learn English but more importantly dad wanted to understand “Aussie” opinions. I often translated. We integrated and respected what we came to know as a beautiful safe home. We still kept the doors open on hot summer nights in the 90’s! Now we are scarred and frightened for our kids. You need to keep fighting the way you do, with an inherent love deep down for the country that everyone wants to escape to for a better life. When they get here if the rules are tough or politically incorrect and they want recognition for who they are or where they come from, in my opinion they should – like Italians, Greeks and Asians- put their goods on the table and prove that what they bring will ENHANCE our community. Not try to impose ideals that made them RUN AWAY from where they come from.. I have many ISLAMIC Friends and they are beautiful. But there are still many in our suburbs who come here with anger from war where violence was the norm. The government needs to step up. Our judicial system needs to stop jailing kids without bail money for misdemeanours and make laws where cars can be stopped for no reason and checked, where if there is minute suspicion.. Homes can be checked. Where new residents are scrutinised in a gentle way to ensure they don’t have ties with extreme groups of ANY religion including extremist christians etc! Where if there is a whiff of child abuse ..the police are given rights to investigate! For all the tree hugging do gooders out there who will go against this surely.. Remember that you and your loved ones live here too. It’s better to be safe than sorry.. Or politically incorrect! If it means staying safe! The extremists may have also suffered in their countries, for political or religious reasons and I feel very sad they seek such revenge. But not here. We have struggled as a nation to become so wonderful, lets use the methods of our ancestors and today’s elderly. Respect, hard work and dignity and a curiosity and eventual understanding for all human beings. It’s been hard for 200 years getting rid of prejudice here.. But we’ve almost achieved this ! Lets not go backwards!
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