2AY & 2QN axe Jones, SCA & Prime keep him

2AY Albury, and 2QN Deniliquin are the first two regional stations to drop the syndicated Alan Jones program from its Midday timeslot, as fallout from Jones comments grows.

The Prime Radio network in Queensland, who syndicate the Jones program on 4CA Cairns, 4MK Mackay and 4RO Rockhampton have said that they will not be dropping the show.

Rhys Holleran, CEO of Southern Cross Austereo has said that his network will not be removing the program from its regional schedule.

Ace Network Group Program Director, Mark Taylor, who is responsible for 2AY, said the response from listeners had made the decision a very simple one and that he did not plan to revisit the decision.

2AY had received a flood of negative feedback over the presence of Jones following the comments.

On 2AY's website, one listener wrote "Dear 2AY, I just wanted to let you know that I am very pleased to hear that you have withdrawn the Alan Jones highlights show. As a local listener, I am happy to continue listening, confident that you do not reflect and endorse the hateful, insulting and inciteful opinions of Alan Jones."

Another said: "Now that you have taken that offensive loudmouth ALAN JONES off our local airwaves I will one again be putting 2AY on my car radio favorite button and on my home radio."

Although Jones had some support with one 2AY listener writing; "It was not his finest bit of speaking, however, I suspect he was caught up in the moment of where he was and his audience."

Jones has been replaced with a one-hour 'easy listening lunch' from today, and this will remain permanently.

2QN in Deniliquin have also announced that they have now dropped the Jones program.

Bruce Turnbull, Senior Program Director with Prime Radio Queensland, commented to Radio Today that the network will continue to broadcast the Alan Jones program on their AM stations.