Angry
Laws feels like walking out over merger: 27th November
2003
(Credit SMH
/ AAP)
The
king of talkback radio John Laws says he feels like
walking out on Sydney station 2UE over the planned
merger of parts of the station's operations with arch
rival 2GB.
2UE's
operator, Southern Cross Broadcasting, announced yesterday
it had agreed with John Singleton's Macquarie Radio
Network, operator of 2GB and 2CH, to establish a joint
venture company to service both networks.
Tentatively
called Sydney Radio Network, the new company means
the rival stations will share the same newsroom, sales
team, and technical services.
Earlier
this month, Laws signed a new contract at 2UE, locking
him into the station until 2010.
Interviewed
today on Mike Carlton's 2UE program, Laws said if
he wanted to work at 2GB he would have accepted a
job offer there.
"If
I had wanted to go and work in that environment, I
would have gone when I was offered a job, but I didn't
do that, I want to stay with 2UE," Laws told
Radio 2UE.
"I'm
very angry about it, I just really feel like getting
up and walking out."
Laws
said he first heard of the deal when he read about
it in the newspaper.
"Apart
from anything else it's just impolite," he said.
The
merger would end an historic rivalry between the stations,
and jobs would be lost under the plan.
Carlton
said he was particularly concerned about the news
operation.
"There
are some very fine journalists working on both sides,
but the essence of news is competition," Carlton
said.
The
merger was "commercially stupid" and dedicated
2UE staff would be out of jobs probably just before
Christmas, he said.
Links:
Sydney
Morning Herald: TV & Radio News
Australian
Associated Press
Mediaman: News
Mediaman: Media News
Mediaman: John Laws profile
Article:
Alan Jones: Broadcaster and Enigmatic Man
Mediaman: John Singleton profile
Mediaman: Ben Starr profile
Mediaman: Josh Szeps profile
Mediaman: Ray Hadley profile
Article:
The War of the Ratings
2UE
2GB
Southern
Cross Broadcasting
Macquarie
Radio Network
Mediaman: TV & Radio links
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