John Singleton’s praise for off-contract radio star Alan Jones

John Singleton has declared Alan Jones’ new contract at 2GB would be signed and sealed if it was up to him, as at least one major advertiser is threatening to pull money if the radio king walks from the station.

• Radio king Alan Jones eyes career switch as contract nears ends

John Singleton has declared Alan Jones’s new contract at 2GB would be signed and sealed if it was up to him, as at least one major advertiser is threatening to pull money if the radio king walks from the station.

The Daily Telegraph revealed on Saturday that Jones would be free to consider other offers of employment from Wednesday if Macquarie Media had not responded in negotiations, and that he was already in some talks with rival outlets including Sky News.

One major advertiser, which delivers about $700,000 to the station told The Daily Telegraph they would pull ads if Jones is not renewed.

Off contract... Veteran radio announcer Alan Jones. Picture: John Feder.

“He gets top ratings and no one could replace him — the station would haemorrhage without him,” the advertiser, who asked not to have their business named, said.

It comes as a fresh radio ratings survey is due to be published tomorrow (Tuesday), and if true to history, will likely reveal that Jones again dominates the airwaves.

Some insiders believe Ray Hadley has been favoured by parts of Macquarie Media management to take over the hosting role of the breakfast spot.

Hadley and Jones have a famously tense relationship.

Hadley announced at the 2GB Christmas party that his own contract — which was not due to expire until 2022 — had been extended to 2025.

This move by management was seen as deeply insulting by Jones’s supporters, with the top rating host having just months to run on his own contract and it not yet being renewed.

Mr Singleton — who has a 32.4 per cent stake in Macquarie Media — told The Daily Telegraph that if it was up to him, Alan Jones’ new contract would have been signed and sealed.

“He’s the reason they are number one,” Mr Singleton said.

“Yes, if I was running it, he would be staying but it’s controlled by Nine now and I don’t know any more than you do.”

“He gets top ratings and no one could replace him,” says John Singleton. Picture: Simon Bullard

The dramatic ratings fall for Nine’s Today Show after the public axing of Karl Stefanovic is seen by some media insiders as a warning not to cut major talent.

There is speculation management turned against Jones after the network had to pay the Toowoomba-based Wagner family for millions for defamation after claims on his program.

But Jones — a 34 year radio veteran — has long dominated in the radio ratings wars and has drawn major advertisers to the 2GB network since 2002. His program’s ratings fell in 2017 from 16.9 per cent share of the market to 12.9 when he was sick at Hadley had to cover a double shift to fill in.

A Nine spokeswoman said the man making the decision was Macquarie Radio CEO Adam Lang.

“It’s up to Macquarie Radio,” she said.

Macquarie Radio CEO Adam Lang said: “We are unlikely to make a comment on any negotiation in progress.”