Industry watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the regulatory body governing radio licences, can only investigate after listeners have first lodged protests with the radio station and are unsatisfied with their response. By Friday, only one complaint had been referred to ACMA regarding Sandilands’ comments.
Rather, it is the advertisers who truly hold Sandilands’ fate in their hands.
Several major Sydney radio media buyers, who spend millions of dollars securing radio airtime for major Australian brands, were in agreement this week that Sandilands’ show was considered a “high-risk environment” among some clients, especially “blue chip brands” keen to avoid any on-air controversy.
But despite this, an analysis of advertisers over the past few weeks reveals a fascinating roll call of brands – some of them clearly in the “blue chip” category, willing to run that risk, including Vodafone, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, Vittoria Coffee, GIO, AAMI, NAB, McDonald’s, Telstra, Uber, Jetstar, Coles, Bankwest, Woolies and Kia.
Sandilands’ show has even got a sponsorship deal with the Daily Mail news outlet, which is constantly featuring stories on Sandilands, his every outrage providing opportunistic clickbait for the mass market website.
And so, after decades at the top, Sandilands, now 51, remains the undisputed king of Sydney FM radio, commanding a huge audience every morning, including the largest share – by far – of impressionable 10- to 17-year-olds.
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We can only imagine what that demographic would have made of Sandilands’ recent grubby comments – about which I wrote last week – from monkeypox being the “big gay disease”, catching thrush off “dirty girls”, graphic and detailed descriptions of group sex acts, describing two female lovers as “blonde rats” who were like “filling up” petrol tanks and openly talking about procuring illegal drugs.
ARN management has stood by Sandilands, feebly defending his vernacular was not to “everyone’s taste”.
Sandilands claims he was just joking. But a considerable number of his listeners weren’t laughing. One only has to read the many reader comments and social media backlash to see that.
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Industry estimates have Sandilands being solely responsible for about $20 million worth of advertising and sponsorship a year to the station. Indirectly, he is responsible for millions more in advertising revenue in other timeslots and other revenue streams, including social media, because of KIISFM’s huge breakfast numbers.
And as a result, the seemingly untouchable Sandilands remains ARN’s most sacred cash cow.