Macquarie Media apologises to Alan Jones’ advertisers and commences review of 2GB’s content
Radio broadcaster 2GB has commenced a PR offensive, writing to its advertisers to apologise for Alan Jones’ on-air conduct, and offering clients meetings with both management and Jones to hear their views on how the station can recover.
In a letter sent to 2GB’s advertisers from its parent company Macquarie Media, chairman Russell Tate also revealed there would be a full review of content on the Alan Jones Breakfast Show, which will then extend to all programs on Sydney’s 2GB and Brisbane’s 4BC.
All of 2GB’s content will be reviewed
Jones’ latest controversy commenced back in August when, on-air, he suggested Australian prime minister Scott Morrison should “shove a sock” down the throat of his New Zealand equivalent, Jacinda Ardern, to silence her on climate change.
Jones subsequently claimed he meant to use the more common and less aggressive phrase “put a sock in it”, and it wasn’t until he re-listened to the audio that he realised he’d over-stepped the mark.
Community backlash, however, caused multiple advertisers, including the Commonwealth Bank and Coles, to pause their media spend with the program.
In the letter to advertisers dated today, Tate said the incident highlighted how disruptive “offended groups” could be to media outlets.
“Throughout this incident, we have experienced the ability of offended groups to greatly amplify their complaints, and to actively disrupt you, our clients and your staff, who have done no more than seek to engage with the audience which chooses to listen to us,” Tate said.
“Of course we have seen valued commercial partners withdraw from Alan’s program, but the fact is we got it wrong in the first place and we must now do everything possible to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”
Macquarie Media has already put Jones on notice, announcing his two-year contract – which goes through to mid-2021 – will be terminated if he mis-steps again. Tate, however, wanted to re-assure advertisers the broadcaster is trying to fix the problem, not just waiting for it to happen again.
“To that end, we have already commenced, with Alan’s encouragement and support, a full review of the 2GB/ 4BC Breakfast Show’s content, presentation and controls, with a specific focus on audience/ third-party engagement. That review will extend into all 2GB/ 4BC programs.”
Jones ‘supports the review’
Tate said the Ardern incident brought into sharp focus the need for all Macquarie Media broadcasters to ensure that the words they use, and the debates they engage with, are respectful and reflect the standards expected by today’s listeners, clients and the wider community.
“Our Macquarie stations and presenters will of course continue to initiate and encourage debate on important issues and argue passionately for the causes, values and actions in which we and our audiences believe. But we must do so in a language and tone that all contemporary Australia finds acceptable,” he wrote.
Tate concluded the letter with an apology and an offer: “I will close by apologising sincerely, on behalf of Macquarie and Alan, for any disruption caused to your company as a result of remarks made by him. Alan and I are happy to talk and meet with as many of our advertisers as possible over the next two months to hear your views on how we can best serve your business, but in the meantime, I would be very interested to hear any comments or thoughts which can help us do that.”
Mumbrella understands over 100 brands have either pulled advertising from the program, or taken a public stance saying they will not place money with the station.
In the most recent radio ratings survey, 2GB in Sydney had a market-leading 13.4% share, down 0.6 points from the previous survey. Alan Jones in breakfast had a 17.1% share, down 0.3 points, but still well ahead of the competition.
In Brisbane, 4BC is far from the market leader, with a 6.7% share, placing it in seventh place. The breakfast show fell back 1.4 points to a 7.5% share in the most recent ratings results, which also places it in seventh.
The survey period, however, covered 26 May to 29 June, and 14 July to 17 August. Jones made the comments on 15 August, so any real audience knock-on effects won’t be seen until the release of the next survey on 1 October. That survey covers 14 July to 21 September inclusive.
The full letter can be seen below.
Click to enlarge
So Jones will schmooze the clients and 2GB will continue bullshiting the battlers for the big end.
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It’s not the content of the show that is the problem, it’s Alan.
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This doesn’t sound much like an apology! It sounds more like, “Sorry you were inconvenienced by ‘offended groups’, we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Nod, nod, wink, wink.
Sounds like there is a cultural problem from the top if the head guy is apologising for ‘causing disruption to the client’ rather than apologising for the actual comments.
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Dont apologise. Act!
Or are you apologising for your lack of action?
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Beware, not everything in life is what it seems.
It doesn’t seem like much of an apology, because maybe it isn’t.
Sometimes any publicity is good publicity so long as they spell your name right. Sometimes a crisis can be averted, and sometimes a crisis can be invented in the interests of media attention.
“Stick a sock in it” is an old expression pre-dating anyone alive today. It was a reference to the acoustic gramophone, which having no system of volume modulation, could be softened or silenced by sticking a sock in the sound horn.
Suggesting that someone should stick a sock in Donald Trump’s throat to shut him up, would I suspect have passed muster, and perhaps even attracted a few supporters, but because a woman was the target, it opened the floodgates to political and socio-political moral outrage.
“If my sister mentions the family silver once more, I’ll choke her” is not misogyny and it doesn’t seriously constitute a threat of murder.
This might be a genuine apology, it might be a genuine crisis, it might ultimately be a boost to the ratings and the advertising content. After all, not everything in life is what it seems.
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No you don’t get it! Alan is exactly what his dedicated listeners want!
Macquarie Media trying to push too far left is the problem!
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That Alan Jones is a hate mongering misogynist should surprise no one, and that includes management at GB. These days it seems any and, mostly all, bad behaviour is negated by a big “sorry”. Jones is revenue and will most likely return to profit sooner rather than later. The honourable course of action is to take him off air permanently. That won’t happen.
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“Throughout this incident, we have experienced the ability of offended groups to greatly amplify their complaints, and to actively disrupt you, our clients and your staff, who have done no more than seek to engage with the audience which chooses to listen to us,
I don’t think this is all they want to do.
They also want to use your station to help build their brands. In order to do that they need to reach an audience in a context free of misogyny and racism. That means avoiding an association with Alan.
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Who would have thought Alan’s downfall would be in regard to a sock?
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Following this train of thought…you’re inferring Alan’s listeners want hear about violence to women and everyone on the ‘right’ is quite at ease with it?
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@Richardmoss – AJ didn’t say ‘stick a sock in it’ , he said Morrison should ‘shove a sock down her throat’ and also in the same rant, suggested Morrison should ‘Give her a backhander’….both of which are descriptive terms that very much encourage violence. Also context is important as it’s not an idle throwaway comment about a family member annoying you, it’s aimed quite squarely at the female leader of our close neighbour! I do agree though that it’s not much of an apology, because it’s not meant to be, rather a sop to the advertisers to coax them back!
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next…..
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Old man syndrome…when I was there age…
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This is staggering stupidity from 2GB. This issue was dead and the narks had moved on to their next 5 minute cause. Now they will be back on Jones’ case.
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Seems to me 2GB are treating their advertisers with contempt. I mean who would be silly enough not to see through this ?
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Firstly, you mean ‘Push to less of the extreme right’.
Secondly, you are claiming that his audience agree with violence against women, racism, etc etc?
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Gil – The Narks as you charmingly put it are over 55,000 individuals with a 75/25 female/male skew who have been campaigning for four weeks and had responses from 110 advertisers that they don’t/won’t or have stopped advertising on Jones’s show. You are not across this issue so don’t pretend you are.
This is consumer power writ large. The goalposts of community standards are changing for the better and dozens of brands have directly spoken out eg. ‘The sentiments expressed by Alan Jones are not in line with our corporate values’.
Time to raise your game sunshine.
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I don’t know what Alan Jones did wrong I agreed with everything he says God help us if we didn’t have him He Is our voice My Mum used to say to us kids Put a sock in it How is it offensive People are so special these days The New Zealand Prime Minister should keep her mouth shut about our politics she would be better off She should put a sock in it Long live Alan Jones
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I dont know what bothers me more the whining leftist SJW PC helpful idiot crowd or the constantly capitulating conservatives. One of the many roads to serfdom all this is.
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THIS SEEMS ODD TO ME ALWAN JNES GEE\TTING MANAGJEBT FROM 2GB G\TI\OMSA SORRY TIO HIM WHEN THEY DID NIT BULLY TE NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER GI FIGURE.
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Tony. This is cultural Marxism writ large. Straight of Saul Alinkski’s playbook; Rules for Radicals. the 55000 you refer to are probably organised by a Soros funded outfit.
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Thank you for your comment in reply. Yes, you have quoted the words used, I used these words with the Donald Trump comparison for that reason, Either way, the reference is from the same source. “Stick a sock in it”
“It” being the throat of the sound tube in the case of the gramophone. Yes, the “backhander” comment may be considered violent, but it does seem less so compared with “someone should blow him/her up” or “I will choke/kill my sister if she mentions the family silver at dinner.” as comparative examples.
I believe there is a definite inequality male to female or vice-versa. If the comment is “If he offends her she should slap his face” this is considered less violent than “If she offends him he should give her a good backhander” Either way the comment is largely figurative, and not a genuine threat.
Jones is an opinionated old fossil, but this is a part of what he is employed and paid to be. I doubt that he is a hate monger or a misogynist. He has been accused of both.
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Mr Russell Tate as user of Macquarie Media services, I would appreciate you publishing a list of the 100 offended advertisers that took issue with Mr Alan Jones’s comments, so that I and like minded listeners can boycott their services and products – or perhaps only the lefty loonies have sway on Macquarie Media and the bulk of your subscribers count for nothing, rest assured we will move to other networks. Look forward to reading the list if you dare publish it.
Ray Marsh
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I am one of the 55,000 Gareth. Soros is nowhere to be seen. I think you need to do a bit more research if you intend to talk about this as if you understand what is happening. Go to Mad Fucking Witches on Facebook and see the thousands of degree qualified professionals who are forging a path which is not necessarily in line with your boring textbook paradigms.
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Id hazard a guess many of the 100 brands didn’t take offence. Instead they were scared of being named and shamed for not acting the way in which some consumers suggest they should.
Happy to ride the ratings until told not to, by popular or social pressures.
Authenticity at its best
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Tony,
“…the thousands of degree qualified professionals who are forging a path..” to ruin. You have shown yourself to be the most dangerous of individuals – a conformist.
cheers
G
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Yes 55,000 [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy] just like the accusers in the witch trials at Salem in Millers the Crucible.
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Tony, I took a look at the Mad F____G Witches Facebook page. Mate you can’t be serious. How can these people expect to be taken seriously? You know when Communists take over a country during the Cold War, misguided half wits like yourself and these witches were the first to get a bullet in the head by the incoming regime. You are referred to and treated like useful idiots. You lot are bloody dangerous. You need to take a good look at yourself and what you stand for. Is this a philosophy and life-way that you want to pass onto your son?
“Hard times create strong men.
Strong men create good times.
Good times create week men.
Week men create hard times.”
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I agree!
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