Will you be subscribing to Kyle’s new show?

Less than two weeks out from the launch of his new subscriber-only Breakfast show, Kyle Sandilands has premiered the first instalment of a four-part documentary series – detailing the exact moment the Kyle & Jackie O Show blew up.

The series revisits Sandilands’ stunned reaction upon learning his ten-year ARN contract was in jeopardy – with the moment captured on camera.

It’s the first time Sandilands has shared content with fans via his new app – as they count down to his new live, weekday Breakfast show, starting Monday August 10.

In the aftermath of his infamous on-air falling out with former co-host Jackie Henderson, Sandilands reveals in the At Home With Kyle Sandilands doco that he was watching TV in bed one afternoon when his manager Bruno Bouchet texted him, saying that moves were afoot to end the contract.

“I said, ‘Whose contract?’

“I’m waiting there like a nervous girl waiting for a text like a guy, waiting, waiting, waiting … and he texts back, ‘Yours’.”

“I thought, ‘What the f*** is going on here? This is an ironclad, 70-page bible that was impenetrable.’”

Sandilands went on to settle with his former employer over his contract termination.

That’s water under the bridge. The big question now is: Who is prepared to pay $99.99 a year to listen to Kyle Sandilands?

Universal NSW Manager Scott Thomson – a keen Kyle & Jackie O listener for the past two decades – genuinely hopes Sandilands’ new show will work.

If Sandilands returned to commercial radio tomorrow, Thomson says he’d be the first to tune in. But he’s sceptical about the subscriber-funded model.

“Charging people upfront to listen to a radio show they haven’t even heard yet? I’m just not sure that’s the winning model,” Thomson posted to LinkedIn.

“The biggest hurdle isn’t the price itself. I’ve heard all the arguments: ‘It’s only $2 a week’ or ‘It’s less than 40 cents a day.’ That’s true.”

“The problem is people don’t pay $2 a week. They have to hand over $99.99 upfront.”

“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, $100 is a significant amount of money for many people. That’s a challenge.”

Thomson says one of radio’s great strengths has always been its shared experience.

“You’re listening at the same time as hundreds of thousands of people. With a paid subscription model, you’re effectively broadcasting to a much smaller community of dedicated fans.”

“It may be loyal, but it doesn’t create the same cultural impact.”