Agree completely - only when the revenue he brings in isn’t making up for the outgoings (I’m sure his salary is decent, and these multi-million defamation payouts certainly don’t help) then will we see change. But he is still ratings gold, as much as that is to the disgust of many, so while that remains and he keeps bringing in the dollars no sensible commercial venture is going to dump him
2 Likes
But would Hadley want to go breakfast? Does Nine want him to go breakfast?
Yes he does 
It’s the big kahuna of radio shifts… ego alone will drive Hadley to do it.
As for Nine, that is the big unknown.
I wonder if an Australian Network will ever try the “early breakfast” concept used by some UK stations.
As Jones gets older, and presuming he stays, he could start his program at 0630 or 0700. That would mean they’d need a strong early breakfast anchor to start at 0500 or maybe a little earlier.
That later start for the main talent would make life easier for them, allowing their working life to be potentially extended and perhaps allowing the “late” breakfast shift to run till 1000.
Would it work here?
1 Like
Does he still do his show from home?
1 Like
We know - there’s a great song dedicated to the likes or Ray and Kyle. 
I’m thinking more along the lines of how old Ray is. He’s no spring chicken either - well not quite.
You are right about Nine - they’ve said they want to be an “interested” shareholder in MML, and I reckon they would be looking at some sort of tie-up between them and 2GB, and indeed 3AW and the like. So it is an unknown area.
1 Like
2GB effectively already have it with Wake Up Australia from 4:00 to 5:30. Although it’s an extension of the overnight show, it is much faster-paced and more news and topical interview focussed than the overnight show. Michael McLaren does a fine job with it, and had a stint filling in for Alan on the real breakfast show a little while back, which Alan’s audience took pretty well it seemed.
1 Like
That’s true, the concept I was getting at was starting breakfast proper later… but I take your point.
He still does his show from his Kangaroo Valley farm sometimes. I wonder if he does it from his flat at The Toaster at Circular Quay on occasion because he can’t be bothered going all the way to Pyrmont?
2 Likes
I cannot see MML letting Jones go anytime soon given the state of its network. There are really only 4-5 personalities holding that entire national network afloat.
Plus what would it mean for his stake in the Sydney station? I suppose very little now that GB is part of a larger network these days.
But IF Jones were to go, just how good would it be for the Sydney Radio landscape if he popped up on 2SM.
Jones followed by Laws.
It’d force MML to think seriously about their 954AM station.
4 Likes
That would probably be a viable option if Alan wanted to lighten his workload. Extend Wake Up Australia until 7am or thereabouts. Alan’s main interviews and editorials are after 7am anyway.
It would mean putting someone else on overnights and letting Michael McLaren focus on Wake Up, but that’s no difficulty. When Wake Up started it was separate to Overnights (Andrew Moore on Wake Up, and I think David Oldfield or Jim Ball was on Overnights).
There’s a heap of traffic on the roads before 6am. I think many stations are missing opportunities to reach audiences by not targeting breakfast-style programs at the early risers.
4 Likes
Agreed… but I think they’d need a bigger name for the show.
Michael Mclaren is good but I reckon you’d need someone who’s a possible candidate to replace Jones. Someone like Jason Morrison.
6 Likes
Goodbye to Jones’ and Hadley’s greatest protector, Singleton?
https://twitter.com/aus_media/status/1070093166420799489?s=19
1 Like
You have to wonder what will happen to Macquarie newsrooms should Nine take full ownership of Macquarie Media.
I’m assuming from your comment that you think Jones and Hadley might be in some sort of trouble?
That would defy logic. There is no way Nine is going to be anything but supportive of 2 of the highest rating people in the Macquarie stable.
In fact I’d go further and say they’ll be safer under Nine than Fairfax.
2 Likes
Nine has said they’ll be keeping the Fairfax and Nine newsrooms separate… but we all know that could change very quickly.
With Nine and Macquarie there’d be more obvious synergies… and Macquarie could easily make good use of Nine resources including reporters.
The biggest challenge for greater cooperation and potentially any merger will be mindset… I’m sure some older Nine staff will resent having to do more without any extra pay.
Plus, don’t discount the Jones and Hadley factor, if they sense any downgrading of the service their programs receive from the newsroom, they’ll kill it… just like they stopped the first 2GB-2UE attempt at a backend merger which included the newsroom.
1 Like
No. I’m referring to Singleton looking after Jones and Hadley whenever they got into trouble. eg. Hadley abuses the crap out of the podcast guy and has his bodyguard block the way so the guy can’t escape. The then general manager of 2GB suspended Hadley but Hadley immediately phoned Singleton to have that decision reversed.
4 Likes
Fair enough… I don’t think much will change though.
They rate, they drive revenue… Nine will look after them.
At the same time, both are smart enough to know how to play the game.
1 Like
More money in radio than TV anyway.
And if newsrooms do merge it would be karma for MML after sacking all the 2UE jouros.
4 Likes
I’ve jokingly suggested the name “Macquarie National Nine News” before, but I wonder if there’d actually be some merit in using that as a unified TV/radio news brand at some point in the future? 
I agree.
Alan Jones currently has more of an association with Seven & Sky News on the TV side of things but come contract renegotiation time, I’m sure they’ll try to get him (and other radio personalities currently in a similar situation) 100% on board “Team Nine” across all platforms.
3 Likes