A life on radio with Jackie O

Jackie O has joined Osher Günsberg for his podcast Better Than Yesterday to reminisce about more than 20 years on radio, much of that at the top of the FM market with Kyle Sandilands.

 
Since the two started working together they have remained a dominant force in any market they broadcast into and while at times they have been controversial, they have endured as pillars of Australian radio that has proven to destroy any breakfast radio team that comes up against them. 

Günsberg says Henderson, is a “true legend” of Australian radio with a story that may surprise.
 
He says “I can’t thank her enough for being so honest, open and sharing nerdy inside radio industry stories that I absolutely couldn’t believe. 

“If you’re a radio head – you’ll love this.  If you love her radio show, you’ll love this. If you have already made up your mind about who she is – this will challenge you.”

In the podcast Jackie told Osher about what went on behind the scenes in 2013 at the time Kyle and Jackie moved from 2Day to KIIS (which was then Mix FM):

“In radio you don’t leave negotiations until November when your contract is expiring in December. The fact that no one had come to us with a contract by October spoke volumes to us…

“They came with a contract but by then there was a lot of things we had heard that had been said behind the scenes about us, that we were on our way out… They were still wanting to sign us, but when you hear things from people that suggest we’re on our last legs, you then start to think, What do we do from here?

“Kyle called me one night and said, I’ve got an idea. What about we go to Mix FM and we rebrand it as KIIS?”
 

Jackie assumed Kyle was “in one of his moods” and went along with it but heard nothing more for about a month. Then he called her saying he had talked to Mix and the move was on.

“He goes, We’re going to Mix, babe… I was furious. I broke down in tears. I told Kyle, I’ve just signed a mortgage and I have not spoken to one person at Mix. I don’t know what’s going on.

“Do they even want us or is that a figment of your imagination? Do they want to rebrand to KIIS? That’s a big deal. A station rebrand is a very expensive thing!

“I was petrified. It gave me no choice, I had to resign as well. I’m not going to stay and do a show without Kyle.”


 
 

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