Kyle Sandilands ready to ‘turn up on Monday’ as he sues ARN Media over terminated $100m radio contract

Kyle Sandilands is ready to “turn up on Monday”, his lawyer has claimed as the shock jock kicks off a multi-million lawsuit over his termination.

The top-rating radio host is suing his old radio network after ARN tore up his $100m contract following an ugly on-air argument with co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson

On his way into Federal Court in Sydney on Friday morning, he told gathered media that recent weeks had been “traumatic”.

“I’m just happy that we can get in today and get the ball rolling, I just want to get back to work as quick as possible,” Sandilands said.

“I’ve got a family to support.”

Sandilands, 54, filed the legal action after his lucrative contract was terminated, arguing his axing was invalid on the basis that there was no act of serious misconduct or breach of contract. He said it was “unconscionable” under Australian Consumer Law.

ARN, the parent company of KIIS FM, which previously broadcast Sandilands’ show for more than a decade, has disputed the claims and said it would defend them.

Its subsidiary, Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, is also named in the lawsuit.

Sandilands’ barrister Scott Robertson SC on Friday morning told the court that his client was willing to host his morning radio show on Monday.

“I think his (Friday) slot has come to an end, or it will, in about 45 minutes, but he’s happy to turn up on Monday morning, continue to do his show,” Mr Robertson told the court, NCA reports.

“Our case is that the termination was invalid, and he’s entitled to continue the show, and is entitled to the payments under the broadcasting services agreement and under the intellectual property agreement.”

Mr Robertson said Sandilands was seeking an expedited hearing.

However, Tom Blackburn SC, acting for the Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, said the prospects of Sandilands being put on air were “vanishingly small”.

The court was told that Sandilands’ lawyers estimated that any hearing would take three days, while the broadcaster said they believed it would last two weeks.

Sandilands’ contract was terminated on March 18 after a two-week deadline set by ARN to “remedy” an alleged breach had passed.

Sandilands said at the time, “I don’t accept it. My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is”.

The long-time relationship between Sandilands and Henderson shattered on February 20 while the pair were live on-air.

Sandilands berated Henderson for what he had claimed was her lax work ethic after she attempted to connect the former prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein dramas with his astrology chart.

On March 3, ARN released an extraordinary statement to the ASX that it had terminated Henderson’s contract and given Sandilands 14 days to “remedy” a breach.

“Let me tell you what actually happened here,” Sandilands said at the time. “Jackie and I had a blue on air. That’s it. The kind of thing we’ve done a hundred times in 25 years. And ARN took the situation and decided to try and burn the place down.

“They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call her or anyone else on the show.

“Then — and this is the bit that gets me — once they’d made it impossible for the show to go on, they turn around and say, ‘You didn’t fix it. You’re fired’.”

Sandilands said he apologised to his long-time co-host the night of their “blow-up” and meant it.

Henderson’s $100m contract was axed by ARN after she told her bosses she could no longer work with him.

She has not filed any legal proceedings as of the time of publication.

Sandilands’ case was in the Federal Court of NSW for the first time on Friday morning for a case management hearing.