Council erupts over ratepayer-funded ads on controversial Kyle and Jackie O show

Brisbane’s LNP council has used its numbers to vote down a Labor motion to ban council advertising on the controversial Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O.

Brisbane City Council’s Labor opposition has called for council to stop advertising on the “racist, divisive” Kyle and Jackie O radio show – despite it being one of the Prime Minister’s favourites.

A Labor motion on Tuesday night called for council to end advertising on the Sydney-based show, which is syndicated into Queensland.

The LNP administration used its numbers to vote down the motion.

Shock jock Kyle Sandilands has attracted frequent headlines for lewd content on his show and material widely seen as racist, sexist or otherwise offensive.

Deputy Labor leader Lucy Collier said the show did not reflect the diverse and tolerant city of Brisbane.

But the LNP called hypocrisy on the motion, pointing out that Labor politicians often appeared on the show.

Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham said: “This is just rank hypocrisy from Labor, given Prime Minister Anthony Albanese regularly appears on the Kyle and Jackie O Show and was even a special guest at Kyle Sandilands’ wedding.”

But Ms Collier said ratepayers did not sign up to be sponsors of shock jocks.

“Kyle and Jackie O have built a career on shock value. That’s their brand. But ratepayers should not be footing the bill to boost that brand,” she said.

“We should be spending the people of Brisbane’s money on Brisbane, and not on subsidising content that is well known for being racist, mean, divisive and often deeply disrespectful.

Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham. Photo: Steve Pohlner

“Brisbane is a diverse and modern city. The content on Kyle and Jackie O’s show isn’t reflective of that.”

Council was asked how much it spent on advertising with the show’s owner, ARN.

Labor also was asked if it paid to advertise, either at the state or federal levels.

The radio show’s management was approached for comment.

Mr Albanese has appeared on the Kyle and Jackie O program 11 times as prime minister.

The show, which has aired for two decades on radio station KIIS, is one of the most successful in Australia and at one point won 47 surveys in a row in the all-important Sydney breakfast slot.

In 2023 it was revealed the show would be taken nationwide, including a launch in Melbourne in April 2024, as part of a $200m 10-year deal.

But it has attracted more than 300 complaints about more than a dozen separate broadcasts in the past six years.

Australia’s weak media regulation laws meant only a few dozen complaints were officially recognised and only three investigated, resulting in three breaches. There has only been one enforceable action.

The show often includes graphic sexual language and statements that have appalled women’s safety advocates.

Sandilands has frequently denigrated overweight women and called his co-host a “ho” and “annoying bitch” while asking if her young daughter had dated “dark fellas”.