This is STUPID: Hinch tells listeners

GM Shane Healy replies.

Derryn Hinch was back on air for one last time today before taking a scheduled break. He assured listeners that he will be back late next month to work out the rest of contract.

Listen…

Postscript: “3AW can only be destroyed from within,” says Hinch…

 

Minutes after Derryn Hinch’s on air statement, 3AW General Manager, Shane Healy spoke to radioinfo saying, “We agreed yesterday that we would allow him to state his point of view. A lot of stations wouldn’t, but that’s why probably 3AW is the best station in the country.

“He’s put his point of view stridently. Obviously, we’re not going to agree. We’re coming from a different stand point.”

shanehealysmall_126When asked to comment on what Hinch had said, Mr Healy told us,“The only comment I’d make is that we never actually told him that we’re taking the station in a different direction, he’s made that bit up. But we did say that we want to keep evolving the station and we’re not prepared to let it stand still. We will take the Drive program and refresh it.

“And while its going very strongly at the moment we want to refresh it and give it a new 10 year life. And we didn’t feel that Derryn was that person. I explained all that pretty clearly yesterday.”

Mr Healy denied that management was getting tired of Hinch’s causes and brushes with the law, citing several instance when the station, “had looked after him,” including the lengthy home detention last year.

“If we’d kept Derryn on for one more year, I’m sure he’d do a very solid, positive job. But we’re not looking at just one more year, we’re not prepared to stand still and we’re not going to be influenced by some people who don’t like change.”

Mr Healy would not confirm that Hinch would be replaced by The Project’s Tom Elliott, saying that the official announcement is still days off. However, he did provide a subtle hint, telling radioinfo, “If it was going to be Tom, and that seems to be a common theme among people, he has filled in for Derryn before. He filled in for five months while Derryn was on home detention and did an excellent job so he would certainly be an absolutely outstanding candidate, were he to get the role.”

Apparently there are no other candidates at this time. But you never know.