“I don’t think I’ve ever had a discussion with the Prime Minister about David Flint ever,” said Alan Jones on 2GB today, in response to accusations by John Laws that he influenced the appointment of ABA Chairman David Flint.
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He says the John Laws comments are “fanciful.”
Jones said he “can’t interpret what Mr Laws motives might be” for his comments this morning, but said it might be because 2UE is “not doing well in ratings.”
Commenting on his relationship with David Flint, Alan Jones said: “he is not a regular correspondent of mine… I’ve never had any conversations with Professor Flint about John Laws.”
Jones spoke in detail about the ABA enquiries into himself and John Laws and made the point that none of the enquiries were judged by David Flint alone, but that they were decided by the ABA board.
“In the first enquiry we were both found to be at fault… the findings were the same for both of us… I’m saying David Flint did not make a finding about Alan Jones, it was the full board of the ABA.” said Jones.
Jones says he “regrets” that he had to mention another broadcaster on air, saying he has never done so before.
An official statement by 2GB says:
2GB has a policy
of avoiding comment on our competitors and their on-air personalities.
Today we make an exception because there is no story our media colleagues
like more than a story about the media.This morning John Laws made
a variety of statements alleging unfairness in treatment of him by the
ABA and that Alan Jones instructed the Prime Minister to reappoint Professor
Flint as Chairman of the ABA. The Prime Minister has already denied that
Alan Jones did so and rejected any suggestion that he took instructions
from any media identity about government appointments. This afternoon on
Chris Smith’s show, Alan has answered these allegations.Before allegations and counter-allegations
gain any credibility 2GB wants to state some background facts.* On 7 February 2000 the
ABA announced that it had decided to impose special licence conditions
on 2UE Sydney after finding in the ‘Cash for Comment inquiry’ breaches
of both the Broadcasting Services Act and the Commercial Radio Codes of
Practice as a result of broadcasts by John Laws and Alan Jones.* On 4 December 2003, the
Board of the ABA with no dissenting report, found 19 breaches by 2UE of
the Disclosure Standard in relation to Telstra’s sponsorship of John Laws
and a sponsorship agreement between John Laws and NRMA Insurance Limited.
The ABA also found 6 breaches of the special licence condition imposed
on 2UE after the Cash for Comment Inquiry.* The ABA imposed an additional
special licence condition on 2UE and referred the matters to the Commonwealth
DPP for consideration of criminal prosecution. The ABA described these
breaches as serious. This was not a decision of the Chairman of the ABA
alone. (ABA news release NR 90/2003)* On 5 April 2004 the Board
of the ABA with no dissenting report, found no breaches by 2GB or Alan
Jones of the Broadcasting Services Act, relevant broadcasting standards
or codes in relation to Telstra sponsorship of 2GB’s Alan Jones Breakfast
Program. (ABA news release NR 26/2004) This was not a decision of the Chairman
of the ABA alone.