Karl Stefanovic will not appear on his scheduled Friday afternoon radio show with Eddie McGuire following widespread criticism of his podcast interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The programme, The Long Weekend on Gold FM, was only recently launched as a multi-platform venture between ARN Media and Nine Entertainment.
Guardian Australia understands that the threat of an advertiser boycott has led to ARN Media reviewing Stefanovic's contract. ARN has confirmed that McGuire will host the show alone this week but has not commented on its future. The chief executive of ARN, Michael Stephenson, had previously hailed the deal as a landmark.
Nine Entertainment is expected to sever ties with Stefanovic, though details of the separation or whether his £2.8m contract will be paid out remain undisclosed. The Sydney Morning Herald, part of the Nine stable, has reported that Stefanovic will leave the company.
Sources indicate Stefanovic is unlikely to return to ARN Media, as the company is still recovering from an advertiser boycott over another star personality, Kyle Sandilands. Earlier this week, an ARN spokesperson distanced the network from Stefanovic's podcast, stating it was undertaken in a personal capacity.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese alluded to Stefanovic's apparent ousting, warning that going “further out on the edges” of mainstream debate could have consequences. Meanwhile, Pauline Hanson offered Stefanovic a job in her office, claiming Channel Nine would be “bloody stupid” to let him go.
