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Sunday, October 07, 2012
Goebbels Alive Down Under, Labor's Pit Bulls Cyber Terrorism against Alan Jones Freedom FROM Free Speech kicks invoked by THUGS.
Macquarie Radio Network Announcement -
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Macquarie Radio Network Limited ("MRN"), the owner of radio station 2GB, today announced a temporary suspension of all advertising in its top rating weekday Breakfast Show hosted by Alan Jones.
The move follows a week of unprecedented focus throughout mainstream and social media on Jones and remarks he made recently at a private function regarding Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the loss of her father. More specifically, the move has been prompted by actions being taken and threatened against companies advertising on the Alan Jones Breakfast Show.
Announcing the suspension of advertising, MRN Executive Chairman Russell Tate said, "the nature, tone and volume of the reaction to Jones’ remarks, and in particular the threats being made through social media to companies advertising in Jones' program and the disruption being caused to their businesses, have made it necessary for MRN to call some 'time out".
"Some simple facts need to be acknowledged.
"There is almost universal agreement that Jones' remarks were unacceptable, wrong and inexcusable. Alan himself acknowledged that from the moment he first advised me of them. He immediately arranged a media conference to state that publicly and apologise to the Prime Minister.
"Although the remarks were not made on 2GB, our position from the outset has been that a personal, unconditional apology was a necessary and appropriate response. I encouraged Alan to repeat the apology on 2GB when he first returned to air last Tuesday morning following his media conference. His apology was unambiguous and unconditional. He has revisited his apology many times in subsequent broadcasts.
"Alan Jones' audience, those who listen regularly to his program, also agree that his remarks were unacceptable. From Research we have conducted over this weekend with them, it is also clear though the great majority acknowledge his apology and have not significantly changed their attitude towards the Alan Jones Breakfast Show.
"Nor importantly is there any indication from regular listeners that their attitudes towards companies advertising in the program has changed adversely.
“Since we now know these things to be fact, we have to conclude that the avalanche of telephone, email and facebook demands to our advertisers to “boycott” the Alan Jones Breakfast Show, and the threats to destroy their businesses if they don’t comply, are coming almost entirely from people who do not listen to Alan Jones or 2GB at all – probably never have done and never will.
"Now in Australia these people of course have the right to express their views to anybody who wants to listen, about any subject they want, including Alan Jones and his radio show. They also have the right and plenty of choice; freedom of choice, to listen to any of the hundreds, in this digital age, thousands of radio programs available to them.
"What they do not have the right to do is on the one hand decide for our listeners who and what they are going to hear on the radio station they choose to listen to, and on the other hand decide for Australian based companies which media outlets they will or won’t use to advertise their products and services. They do not have the right to interfere with freedom of choice and they do not have the right to attempt to censor – not Alan Jones, not this radio network, not the people who choose to listen to it and not the companies who choose to advertise on it.
“What we are seeing here is 21st Century censorship, via cyber-bullying.
"As a talk-station we openly advocate debate. Talk radio is arguably the original form of social media. The difference between 2GB and some catchy URL is that MRN operates in a regulated media environment.
"We hold ourselves, and are held, to account on many levels. We operate within a long established regulatory guidelines and rules. We’re accountable to the regulatory authorities for our license to operate; to our listeners who have the freedom to leave us any time they want; to our advertisers who will leave us if our listeners do; to our shareholders who will show staff and management the door when the advertisers disappear.
“We are happy to listen to any constructive criticism of what we are doing. We do it every day, often live on-air. But strangely we have heard very little on this issue from the same social media groups which are attempting to destroy the companies who have the hide to advertise with the highest rating radio station in Sydney. All of their focus is destructive. They are simply making life as difficult as possible for the staff of companies whose crime apparently is advertising on Sydney’s highest rating breakfast radio show.
“How hard is it to work out that those companies do not choose to advertise in the Alan Jones Breakfast Show because they agree with all of his views and everything he says. They advertise in the Show only because they want to engage with the massive audience who listens to him – an audience which has dominated the ratings in the Sydney market for over a decade. An audience which chooses to listen and an audience which, if and when it decides it has had enough of Alan Jones and goes somewhere else, will be closely followed by those same companies.
“We have taken this unprecedented decision to suspend advertising in the Alan Jones Breakfast Show until further notice so that all of our advertisers are on an equal footing, can regroup and discuss with us the way forward and how we together deal with these attempts to damage great Australian businesses. We’ll be doing that over the next week or so and I would personally also welcome discussion with representatives of the organisations behind the totally unwarranted pressure being put on our advertisers. But any discussion will need to be face to face, not hiding behind a keyboard.
“The decision obviously comes at a very significant short term cost to MRN. It is an insignificant price to pay for our audience to be able to listen to what they choose to listen to, and for Australian companies to advertise where they choose to advertise.”
Media contacts;
Antonia O'Neill 0417 252 805. Julia Everingham 0416 033 696
Alan Jones loses his Merc
JONATHAN MARSHALL AND JORDAN BAKER
The Sunday Telegraph
October 07, 2012 12:00AM
MERCEDES-BENZ will confiscate Alan Jones's $250,000 sponsored car, and has vowed to never again support the controversial broadcaster or his radio station 2GB.
The carmaker expressed its strong distaste at Jones's comment, revealed last week by The Sunday Telegraph, that Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father, John Gillard, "died of shame" because of "lies" told by his daughter.
"We want the car back, the deal is cancelled, it is over," Mercedes-Benz's corporate communications manager, David McCarthy, said.
If the car is not returned, Mercedes will send someone to repossess it.
Mercedes-Benz Australia-Pacific, owned by the Daimler Group, distanced itself from Jones and has cancelled all radio advertising .
The Sunday Telegraph revealed last weekend Jones told a Sydney University Liberal Club dinner on September 22 that the prime minister's 83-year-old father, John, "died of shame".
"We were appalled and shocked at the lack of respect (the comments) expressed," Mr McCarthy said.
Now the company has informed Jones it wants him to return the black 2012 S-Class Mercedes the broadcaster has been driving free.
Should the vehicle not be returned by October 31, a Mercedes-Benz representative would collect it, he said.
The Sunday Telegraph understands Jones had been able to use the expensive vehicle as part of a sponsorship agreement with 2GB's owner, Macquarie Radio.Mercedes-Benz bosses have ditched advertising on Jones's show and across the station.
"We have terminated ALL (sic) commercial arrangements with 2GB," the company said in a statement. "We cannot see a circumstance that will see us returning to advertising (on Jones's) show."
Mr McCarthy refused to reveal how much the deal with 2GB was worth, other than to say: "It's now worth a lot less than it was a week ago."
Macquarie is offering discount rates for new advertisers, and has emailed subscribers asking if they have changed their opinion of 2GB and its sponsors, many of whom have dumped the station and Jones.
"During the last week, has your attitude towards companies that advertise on the Alan Jones Breakfast Show changed?" the survey asked.
Macquarie has told at least one agency it would discount standard rates by at least 15 per cent. Advertisements on his show usually sell for $1170 and live reads for $3300.
More than 70 companies have backed away and shares in Macquarie Radio crashed this week amid estimates that the boycott could cost millions.
A spokesman for Macquarie Radio refused to comment.
Jones is still in demand as a speaker, with a spokeswoman for Saxton Speakers saying no bookings were cancelled. Jones charges about $12,000 per speaking engagement.
A Facebook blitz on sponsors has more than 11,000 "likes", with users bombarding advertisers with emails.
Jenna Price from the Destroy the Joint movement named after Jones's claim women such as Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore were "destroying the joint" - said one sponsor got 4000 emails.
Staff at 2GB told activists the boycott would hurt young employees, not Jones.
Shares in 2GB fell six per cent last week.
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