{"id":547088,"date":"2026-03-17T22:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T22:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/547088\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T22:34:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T22:34:16","slug":"kyle-sandilands-contract-torn-up-by-kiis-owner-arn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/547088\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Sandilands\u2019 contract torn up by KIIS owner ARN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Calum Jaspan\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"64\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ed13c528ff29429d0a4267821595c52ca2cdc4cc.png\"  width=\"64\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"article-datetime\" class=\"sc-5cbbddda-5 hxoHkT\">Updated March 18, 2026 \u2014 8:45am,first published 7:14am<\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-369d9219-1 bOiPYX\">Save this article for later<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-369d9219-2 bufJxo\">Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n<p>Got it<\/p>\n<p>AAA<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Sandilands\u2019 contract has been terminated by KIIS owner ARN, sparking threats of legal retaliation from the controversial broadcaster over his $100 million contract with the FM radio company.<\/p>\n<p>Sandilands said he had done everything the company asked during<a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/kyle-insists-jackie-o-will-be-back-as-her-leave-extends-indefinitely-20260303-p5o6wt.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> the 14 days he was suspended from broadcasting<\/a> after berating his co-host Jackie \u201cO\u201d Henderson, including telling the station he was willing to work with someone else, but claimed the outcome was pre-determined.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kyle Sandilands on Tuesday. His contract has been torn up.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4dec6270f93a9583c5d4c6748f5dcb04a24b738c.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>Kyle Sandilands on Tuesday. His contract has been torn up.Jessica Hromas<\/p>\n<p>ARN and Sandilands both separately announced the termination on Wednesday morning, putting an end to the broadcaster\u2019s record-breaking contract to present the Kyle &amp; Jackie O Show until 2034, which is now all but certain to be challenged in court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cARN has just announced that they have terminated my contract,\u201d a statement from Sandilands on Wednesday morning said. \u201cI don\u2019t accept it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sandilands said he has done everything asked over the past few weeks, but accused them of not wanting to \u201cfix\u201d the matter, using it as a chance to get out of the remainder of the <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/they-got-their-100-million-contracts-in-a-louis-vuitton-briefcase-this-week-it-all-fell-apart-20260305-p5o7s9.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">much-publicised $200 million contract he and Henderson signed in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, it\u2019s over to my lawyers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Representatives for Sandilands distributed the statement early on Wednesday morning in advance of an official ASX announcement from ARN, which shortly after confirmed \u201cThe Kyle and Jackie O Show will no longer be presented\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with \u201csomeone else\u201d in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.<\/p>\n<p>Related Article<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/i-haven-t-heard-anything-sandilands-in-the-dark-as-deadline-looms-20260317-p5ob3x.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kyle Sandilands spoke about his future on radio during an appearance on Australian Idol\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dc63225d8bb80457ddd4fd149a09ddc66cb05bb8.png\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said, put me back on air. I\u2019ll work with Jackie. I\u2019ll work with someone else. Whatever you need. Every single time \u2013 \u2018no\u2019. They weren\u2019t interested. They didn\u2019t want to fix this. They thought they saw a chance to get out of the contract they signed with me a year ago, and they ran with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The decision comes two weeks after Henderson\u2019s contract was terminated by ARN after the company said her representatives had told management she could not continue working with Sandilands. As a result of <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/culture\/tv-and-radio\/off-with-the-fairies-jackie-o-steps-away-from-radio-after-on-air-fight-with-sandilands-20260223-p5o4nb.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the on-air feud in February<\/a>, which reduced Henderson to the point of tears, he was alleged to have been in breach of his contract following an act of \u201cserious misconduct\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Sandilands said in his statement that he had <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/kyle-sandilands-insists-he-didn-t-breach-his-contract-demands-100m-deal-be-honoured-20260310-p5o95d.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">apologised to Henderson<\/a> and meant it. Henderson has previously said she did not quit ARN and was addressing the issue through legal channels.<\/p>\n<p>The pair\u2019s contracts, which stood to run until the end of 2034, had become onerous for ARN just one year in, after the show\u2019s expansion to Melbourne bombed and advertiser sentiment turned against the historically coarse sexualised content featured on the show.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Sandilands said the company knew \u201cexactly what they were getting into\u201d, having worked with him for a decade.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with \u201csomeone else\u201d in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773786855_254_77a2ad947a2358069fec1d01a7d099dc1eb10eeb.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with \u201csomeone else\u201d in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, you tell me \u2013 why would ARN prefer to breach a contract and pay the legal consequences rather than honour the contract and pay me to do what I do best? That\u2019s the bit that doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Privately, the expected contract termination has been the subject of much consternation among rival radio executives over the past two weeks. On Tuesday, one executive who spoke on condition of anonymity due to commercial sensitivities said Sandilands is in a \u201cstrong position\u201d, arguing that his tirade against Henderson last month wasn\u2019t close to his worst on-air behaviour.<\/p>\n<p>Related Article<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/they-got-their-100-million-contracts-in-a-louis-vuitton-briefcase-this-week-it-all-fell-apart-20260305-p5o7s9.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Just two years ago Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O were inking a multimillion dollar contract.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/19d9079d6bf687ba93376a53984baa5b60a7c14f9aa457446ccc775d421084cc.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another executive said it is likely both Sandilands and Henderson challenge the terminations, but that ARN had no option but to act, with the finances of the deal \u201conly working\u201d if the show was successful across the eastern seaboard.<\/p>\n<p>The show was launched into Melbourne two years ago, but in that time KIIS lost more than 220,000 listeners under Sandilands and Henderson, or 36 per cent of its breakfast audience. The first ratings result of 2026 are published on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/link\/follow-20170101-p56j4t\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up to get it every weekday morning<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Calum Jaspan\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"40\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768870210_233_ed13c528ff29429d0a4267821595c52ca2cdc4cc.png\"  width=\"40\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/><a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-2 jcGta-D\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/by\/calum-jaspan-p536wx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Calum Jaspan<\/a> is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via <a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-5 czsZcI\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/calumjaspan_?lang=en\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">X<\/a> or <a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-5 czsZcI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/companies\/mailto:calum.jaspan@nine.com.au\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Updated March 18, 2026 \u2014 8:45am,first published 7:14am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547089,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[64,63,447,134],"class_list":["post-547088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}