Shock jock Kyle Sandilands has announced he is working on a new project, vowing to return 'bigger than ever', as he battles ARN Media in the Federal Court over his terminated $100m contract. The announcement came via Instagram on Thursday, with Sandilands teasing a mystery platform or format, though he declined to provide further details.
The revelation follows the unsealing of Sandilands' contract with Kiis FM, which exposed the extraordinary terms of the 10-year deal. The contract, worth $100m in total, included a $7.4m annual cash payment, a $200,000 consultancy fee, and $500,000 in contra airtime. Sandilands also demanded a car parking space at the North Sydney studio, airport transfers in a Mercedes Sprinter when broadcasting from Melbourne, and a five-star hotel suite with business-class flights.
ARN Media tore up the contract after alleging Sandilands breached its terms by repeatedly berating co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson and the audience on air. Sandilands is now suing for the remaining $85m, claiming he was unfairly removed from the show just over a year into the agreement. The contract also required him to pre-record 10 'emergency programs' annually and redo any 'defective' programming.
The court has set a 10-day hearing for October, with Justice Angus Stewart presiding. Meanwhile, Sandilands' Instagram post, which included a photo of him in a Rolls-Royce, has fuelled speculation about his next move, though he offered no specifics. 'Don't tell anyone, but I'm working on a new project, and all will be revealed soon,' he wrote.
