NSW: 2UE ads telling of sponsorship register available to public

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-1999
NSW: 2UE ads telling of sponsorship register available to public

SYDNEY, Dec 3 AAP - Radio Station 2UE has begun running on-air advertisements telling
listeners they can obtain the names of commercial sponsors of stars such as John Laws
and Alan Jones.

On both Jones' and Laws' shows today, voice-overs were run stating that both presenters
have a number of sponsors.

"The identity of these sponsors may be obtained by inspecting the register at Radio
2UE's offices," the advertisement said.

"And from January next year, this information will also be available at 2UE's website."

A 2UE spokesman said the voice-over would run once during each 2UE star's show.

But in an embarrassing glitch for the station, an attempt to play the ad yesterday
brought a furious response from John Laws when it said listeners would also be able to
see how much he was being paid by commercial sponsors.

"Is that right?," Mr Laws said on air.

"Really? I see.

"Well, that's really very interesting.

"You mean you're going to put on the website how much money I'm being paid?

"Are we going to have all the executive salaries on the website too?

"Are we going to ask barristers too? ... To hell with that."

The 2UE spokesman said today the inclusion of annual fees was "a human error" and that
these would remain confidential.

He said that while he could not speak on behalf of Mr Laws and Mr Jones, he understood
they were in favour of the measure.

However, just minutes earlier at the Australian Broadcasting Authority's inquiry into
the "cash for comment" affair, Mr Jones' lawyer, Bret Walker SC, suggested he was unhappy
with such disclosures.

"Why should there be a revelation of confidential information of a kind normally left
confidential in this industry?" Mr Walker said.

AAP cf/sb/wjf/br

KEYWORD: DEALS (CARRIED EARLIER)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.