3AW’s new drive host Jacqui Felgate reveals more paid partnerships as Nine remains under scrutiny by regulator

Nine Entertainment’s radio arm remains in turmoil as more paid deals are revealed by newly appointed 3AW drive host Jacqui Felgate amid investigations by the media regulator.

More lucrative deals and new details of paid partnerships held by recently appointed 3AW drive host Jacqui Felgate have been revealed, two weeks after the Melbourne radio station said the lack of disclosure over her sponsorship agreements was “an innocent oversight.”

Felgate, who will take up the drive slot permanently in 2024, has 15 paid partnerships and three of these were only published on the station’s website on Monday morning, including with Melbourne Airport, sleepwear company Fine-Day and furniture business GlobeWest.

The extra deals are worth a minimum of $25,000 each and her 15 deals she now holds are worth a minimum of $375,000.

Felgate’s deals were uncovered by The Australian this month and has since resulted in Nine Radio’s four major stations, 3AW, 2GB, 4BC and 6PR, all being under scrutiny by the regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, for failing to declare paid partnerships held by many broadcasters across the country.

Felgate, who was hosting 3AW’s afternoons show on Monday, is a prolific social media user and has 265,000 Instagram followers, and she regularly spruiks brands on her account.

She also has a paid deal with Virgin Australia that ACMA are asking for more information on after she promoted the airline’s frequent flyer program online, then two months later she had a segment on her radio program where she told of a “heartwarming experience a Melbourne mother had on a Virgin flight.”

Nine Radio, led by managing director Tom Malone, remains in turmoil over more than 20 paid partnerships that were not disclosed by the four stations until this month.

ACMA’s 2022 commercial radio disclosure standard states that presenters must provide licensees with the details of a commercial agreement within seven days of entering into an agreement.

If the standard is not adhered to, it can result in court proceedings and ­financial penalties.

3AW broadcaster Jacqui Felgate promoting Maybelline makeup products. Picture: Instagram

In recent months, Felgate has been filling in as host of the afternoons slot after the station sacked Dee Dee Dunleavy in June.

Felgate holds paid partnerships with 15 businesses including BMW, Maybelline, Smile Solutions, NAB AFL Auskick, Chadstone shopping centre, Melbourne Racing Club, Chemist Warehouse, Ceres Life, All Kinds, La Roche-Posay, Villawood Management, Racing Victoria (Off The Track), Fine-Day, Melbourne Airport and GlobeWest.

Her management, TLA Worldwide, is responsible for managing her deals and did not respond to questions.

Some of her disclosed deals have also been amended on 3AW’s register in recent days and now disclose that she does public relations work for businesses including Chadstone shopping centre, and her Melbourne Racing Club agreement now includes that she is Caulfield Spring Carnival Ambassador.

When 3AW announced her appointment as drive host that station manager Stephen Beers described Felgate as a “multi-award-winning journalist with 20 years’ experience in broadcast, radio and print.”

Felgate has been filling in as host at the station since June 2022, but her deals – some of which she has held for more than a year – were only disclosed on 3AW’s website on September 11.

At the time, a 3AW spokeswoman said the lack of disclosure of Felgate’s deals “was an innocent oversight which led to this breakdown of process.

“The commercial agreements register has since been updated, and we have reviewed our procedures to ensure compliance,” she said.

Felgate’s deal with BMW also failed to disclose that she was a brand ambassador until Monday.

Nine Radio in Sydney is also under investigation over a segment by breakfast host Ben Fordham that aired on August 2 where he revealed to listeners that he had started Uber driving to earn extra money.

It was not disclosed in the segment that Fordham had a paid partnership with Uber, but it was declared on the station’s website.

A Nine Radio spokewoman said in a statement: “Nine has disclosure obligations under the standard, which are taken seriously, as can be seen by the recent amendments to our online registers.

“The registers will continue to be updated in line with our obligations.

“Nine also - as part of its systems, processes and procedures - conducts training regularly with all relevant staff.”

An ACMA spokesman said more information from Nine is being sought on its compilance with the Broadcasting Services (Commercial Radio Current Affairs Disclosure) Standard 2022 and the requirement to keep up-to-date disclosure registers.

Originally published as 3AW’s new drive host Jacqui Felgate reveals more paid partnerships as Nine remains under scrutiny by regulator