What's New
BY RadioToday Network June 19, 2026
What's New June 17, 2026
ARN settles court case with Kyle Sandilands: ASX announcement
ARN has confirmed in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange that it has settled its court case with Kyle Sandilands. Kyle will not be allowed to work for a rival radio station for 9 months, until March 2027.
The ASX release says:
ARN Media has entered a binding settlement with Mr Kyle Sandilands to resolve all outstanding legal proceedings.
The settlement agreement provides for the full and final resolution of all claims and counterclaims between the parties, including those relating to the previously announced Federal Court proceedings.
ARN has agreed to pay Mr Sandilands a cash settlement sum of $12.09 million (Settlement Sum) with $3 million payable in July 2026 and the balance payable monthly until June 2029.
Mr Sandilands and his related entities will not be providing services to ARN in any capacity going forward.
Mr Sandilands has advised ARN that he intends to pursue independent media opportunities. As part of the settlement, ARN will provide Mr Sandilands with advertising services on ARN’s partner platforms of $1,500,000 over the next three years. The parties have also agreed to a net revenue share arrangement, providing ARN a contribution of 19.9% from Mr Sandilands’ new venture for a period of up to three years from commencement, subject to agreed revenue thresholds and caps.
Restraints prevent Mr Sandilands from engaging with ARN’s direct competitors for a maximum period of up to nine months from the date of settlement, expiring in March 2027.
ARN Chief Executive Officer Michael Stephenson said: “This agreement brings certainty for ARN and resolves the legal dispute. ARN remains focused on executing its strategy, including driving a leaner, more efficient operating model, strengthening its core radio network and continuing to invest in digital capabilities and long-term growth.”
The legal proceedings with Ms Jacqueline Henderson (as previously announced) remain
ongoing.
Previous report:
With SCA looking cutting costs one would wonder who could afford Kyle in the future. The only way would be to go national like Gold have done but that never worked neither.
That’s a great outcome for ARN.
Now it looks likely Kyle will launch a subscription podcast and this will be heavily advertised on Kiis. Will enough of the audience be willing to pay though? And will he have a partner like Bianca Dye – they would be great together and have the edge Jackie didn’t.
Surely at this point, Kyle Sandilands won’t ever be heard on terrestrial radio again apart from maybe during the “Kyle Sandilands Live” ads that’ll inevitably run on KIIS and iHeartRadio, etc.
At this stage you’d think he’s probably more of a liability than an asset to any radio network given the controversies and ACMA breaches he’s generated for both 2DayFM and KIIS over the years.
@AussieCam58: I’m pretty sure the plan was to eventually give Kyle & Jackie O a national(ish) broadcast footprint.
The big questions now: How long will ARN persist with the networking of COC at breakfast? And if Kris Fade or whoever ultimately takes over KIIS Breakfast keeps 1065 Sydney’s ratings at a “lower than K&JO, but still in the race and above 2DayFM” level, what are SCA going to do with 104.1 brekky?
Great outcome for ARN!
Share price up 30%.
@sydney city tv,
Yes ARN are likely going after Kris Fade, but my question is why?
Wouldn’t ARN take a 8-9% share with a fraction of the cost.
Mike e is doing a good job! If ARN get rid of Mike E surely SCA should get Mike e and Emma back together. 104.1 brekky is very vanilla, SCA can never get a breakfast show to work. Since Kyle and Jackie left an edgier show now has a market.
@Steve – radio analyst: I personally think it’d make the most sense for ARN to stick with Mike E with fill-in co-hosts for now, wait for SCA to inevitably pull the pin on 2DayFM’s current brekky show (surely a matter of when rather than if?) then possibly attempt a Mike E & Emma reunion.
Why SCA never tried Mike E & Emma on 2DayFM breakfast is completely beyond me, especially while Hughesy, Ed & Erin lasted a year or two longer during the timeslot than they probably should’ve been given!
Generally speaking, I agree there’s currently a gap in the Sydney market for a slightly edgier FM brekky show…although would also suggest (regardless of ratings) that Kyle & Jackie O pushed the envelope way too far during later years. From all reports, what used to be “Breakfast With The Stars” devolved into the kind of frequent chatter about sex and bodily functions you’d probably expect from Year 8s behind high school toilet blocks!
There’s also room for an older-skewing, personality-based breakfast program in the mould of Jonesy & Amanda and Hans & Kayley before them. Sadly, I can’t see this gap being filled anytime soon but it could be a good idea for 2UE, to differentiate them from Christian O’Connell and Smooth’s highly successful music-centric shift.