Sandilands off air for three more weeks

Shock jock Kyle Sandilands has avoided being sacked, but will be forced to undergo
counselling following his jibe about comedian Magda Szubanski.
After flying back from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sandilands had meetings on Thursday
with his employer Austereo, which informed him of their decision to suspend him
without pay until October 7.
It comes after two controversial incidents on his Sydney breakfast show for which he
was widely criticised.
The first was a segment in which a 14-year-old girl was attached to a lie detector
and quizzed about her sexual history, while in the second stumble, earlier this
month, Sandilands said Szubanski, who has been trying to lose weight, would only be
thin if she was put in a concentration camp.
Sandilands apologised, but was suspended on September 9.
In a joint statement, Austereo executive chairman Peter Harvie and 2DAY FM general
manager Adam Lang said the pay penalty would be directed "to community charitable
causes".
"In addition, Kyle Sandilands will attend external counselling," the statement said.
"2Day FM has taken into consideration Sandilands' concern and remorse for statements
made."
Co-host Jackie O will remain on air while Sandilands is suspended.
His return date is just three days before the Australian Commercial Radio Awards
(ACRAs), where he and Jackie O are in the running for three gongs.
Meanwhile, possibly hoping to go unnoticed, just four minutes after the Sandilands'
announcement was made, rival broadcaster the Australian Radio Network (ARN)
announced that Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney would not be returning to their poorly
rating Mix 106.5 breakfast show, after reaching a "mutual" agreement with the
station's management.
ARN said McKenney would be leaving ARN to take up other opportunities "immediately",
while Kruger would remain at the station for the time being, but not in an on-air
role.
"After consultation with Sonia and Todd a mutual decision has been reached and they
will be moving on from ARN to pursue their careers elsewhere," the statement said.
Kruger and McKenney have struggled in the ratings since they took over from Sammy
Power and Subby Valentine early last year.
In the last survey released this week, the Dancing With The Stars talent held just a
3.3 per cent audience share of the Sydney market, way down from their predecessor's
figures.
The general manager of ARN stations in Sydney, Anthony Fitzgerald, thanked them for
their work.
"As the network will not be renewing the contracts of Sonia and Todd for 2010, we
wish them both well in the future and thank them once again for their contribution."
The breakfast team of Ange, Jamie and Christo, who have been filling in this week
while Kruger and McKenney were on holidays, will remain in the slot for now.
An announcement about a permanent replacement will be made towards the end of next
week, Fitzgerald told AAP.
In a big week for radio, 2UE's Mike Carlton will have his last day on 2UE on Friday,
bringing to a close more than 26 years on morning radio.
Carlton will return to writing a column for the Sydney Morning Herald after being
sacked from the paper last year.